well-nigh
/ˌwɛlˈnaɪ/ adverb
Synonyms
fornigh just about virtually well-near all but almost as good as as near as makes no difference close to more or less near near as damn it nearly next to nigh nigh on nighwhat not quite practically pretty much about most
Etymology
From Middle English wel-neigh (“physically close to; near in time to; almost, nearly; closely”) [and other forms], from Old English wel nēah, wel nēh, from wel (“well”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welh₁- (“to choose; to want”)) + nēah, nēh (“close, near”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂neḱ- (“to attain, reach”)). Synchronically a univerbation of well (“completely, fully; to a significant degree”) + nigh (“close by, near”).
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “well-nigh”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details