closest

Everyday

1. Closest means the nearest of all. tree →
2. Closest can mean the nearest in amount, the number with the smallest difference. tree →
3. A closest friend is the friend you are nearest to. tree →

In the lessons

maths: the smallest distance, or the number nearest to another (rounding, estimating); geography: the closest town or star; everyday life: the closest shop, the closest exit; safety: know where the closest fire exit is

Examples

• Which town is closest to the lake? tree →
• Round 47 to the closest ten. tree →
• Which number is closest to 100: 96 or 105? tree →
• The closest store is 2 miles away. tree →
• The Sun is the star closest to Earth. tree →
• Walk to the closest exit. tree →
• Her guess was the closest to the real number. tree →
• Tom is my closest friend. tree →
• I am quite sure we shall become the closest of friends." tree →

Note

Compare the differences and choose the smallest. Trap: closest is about difference, not about which number is bigger (100 − 96 = 4 and 105 − 100 = 5, so 96 is closer). The superlative of «close» (near), said «klohs-est».