- (usually with the) coming straight after somebody/something in time, order or space
- The next train to Baltimore is at ten.
- The next six months will be the hardest.
- The next chapter deals with the post-war situation.
- Who's next?
- The woman in the next room was talking in a very loud voice.
- The parcel will arrive in the next few days.
- I fainted and the next thing I knew I was in the hospital.
- (informal) Round here, you leave school and next thing you know you're married with three kids.
Which Word? next / nearestnext / nearest- (The) next means ‘after this/that one’ in time or in a series of events, places or people:
- When is your next appointment?
- Turn left at the next traffic lights.
- Who’s next?
- Where’s the nearest supermarket?
- Notice the difference between the prepositions nearest to and next to:
- Janet’s sitting nearest to the window (= of all the people in the room).
- Sarah’s sitting next to the window (= right beside it)
- Who’s sitting nearest the door?
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- (used without the) next Monday, week, summer, year, etc. the Monday, week, etc. immediately following
- Next Thursday is 12 April.
- Next time I'll bring a book.
- I'm going away next month.
- Next month's rent is due today.
Word OriginOld English nēhsta ‘nearest’, superlative of nēah ‘nigh’; compare with Dutch naast and German nächste.
Idioms
See next in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee next in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishbetter luck next time
- (informal) used to encourage somebody who has not been successful at something
- Never mind— better luck next time.
- If you didn't win a prize, better luck next time.
from one day to the next
- if a situation changes from one day to the next, it is uncertain and not likely to stay the same each day
- I never know what to expect from one day to the next.
the next big thing
- (informal) a person or thing that people think will be very popular or successful soon
- She has been talked up as the next big thing in British tennis.
- Everyone is trying to guess what the next big thing in street fashion is going to be.
the next man, woman, person, etc.
- the average person
- I can enjoy a joke as well as the next man, but this is going too far.
take something to the next level
- to further improve or develop something that is already successful
- He decided to move to New York to take his career to the next level.
- We are taking web design to the next level.
Check pronunciation:
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