pert near
Almost. Darn close to.
Also called purt near, purty nigh, pretty near.
Updated September 24, 2026
pert near pronunciation
/PERT neer/
Meaning
Pert near means you came this close. Spill coffee, miss the exit, or finish the biscuits, and somebody will say you pert near did it. It is pretty near with the pretty squeezed into pert, common in rural Southern and Appalachian talk. You will also hear purt near and purty nigh.
How folks use it
- “I pert near wrecked the truck sliding on that gravel.”
- “Supper's pert near ready if you'll wash up.”
Origin and etymology
Spoken form of pretty near. Dialect speech softens pretty to pert or purt, and older mountain talk also uses nigh for near. DARE and Appalachian collections list pretty near / purty nigh among everyday ways to say almost.
Frequently asked questions
Is pert a real word here?
In this phrase it is just how pretty sounds when folks rush it. Same idea as saying purdy for pretty.