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I saw this example sentence in the entry for "almost" in Merriam-Webster dictionary:

It is an almost failure.

I think it should be:

It is almost a failure.

Can we use almost to modify a noun? I checked all the major dictionaries and all the dictionaries suggest that it is an adverb only, but in Webster Dictionary, I saw that they are saying that it can be an adjective too. What's the matter? The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language says that using it as an adjective is ungrammatical. Would anyone please clarify it? Can we that the language has changed? Or Almost can be adjective in North American English only? I am all in dark.

ColleenV
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Modern English
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  • 1) There is almost a fight. 2) There is a almost fight. The second one is wrong. What's your conclusion? Are you an American? – Modern English Feb 08 '21 at 18:21
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    Yes, I am an American. "There is a almost fight" sounds completely wrong. (Also, even if the word order was right, it should be "*an* almost fight".) – stangdon Feb 08 '21 at 18:22
  • I've edited your question to include the information from the comments. Feel free to improve it if I haven't captured your meaning well. It is better to add information to your post than to engage in a discussion in comments. That way everyone reading your question will have the same information even if they don't read the comments. – ColleenV Feb 08 '21 at 18:27
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    Most of the full OED entry for **almost** is taken up defining the ***adverbial*** usage, which is far more common. They've tacked on a couple of brief definitions for the ***adjectival*** and ***noun*** usages, but I have to say I think it's going a bit ott to actually *define* the somewhat "quirky" noun usage (ex: *Starrett Tools take the abouts and the **almosts** out of measuring*), and even the adjectival one *(an **almost** failure)* hardly seems to merit an actual dictionary definition. I think it's just an easily-understood but ***quirky*** turn of phrase that's often "re-coined". – FumbleFingers Feb 08 '21 at 18:28
  • Thanks for doing so. Now share your opinion please. Does the sentence "There is an almost fight" sound correct to you? – Modern English Feb 08 '21 at 18:29
  • (I certainly wouldn't recommend non-native speakers to *ever* use it. It'll nearly always sound "strange" to many if not most native Anglophones.) – FumbleFingers Feb 08 '21 at 18:31
  • @FumbleFingers Let's say a couple decide to foster a teenage boy or girl, who has no parents of their own, and the placement works well for all concerned. They might one day refer to him or her as "our almost son/daughter". It is quirky - but such adverbs do get used in that way, and it can also be charming. Another one is "nearly". Nothing wrong with using them, in my view - even by non-native speakers. – WS2 Jul 26 '22 at 17:51
  • @WS2: Hmm. Where would you stop? *Our **near[ly]** son/daughter? Our **practically / approximately / as good as / pretty much / about** son?* Competent native speakers intuitively know they'd have to draw a line somewhere there (which might vary by speaker, whim, or context), but it's not something you'd want to explain or quantify to a learner. Imho nns are better off just classifying *all* such usages as "non-standard, quirky". Bear in mind native speakers might well accompany the spoken form with "air quotes" to make sure they're understood. – FumbleFingers Jul 26 '22 at 21:03
  • @FumbleFingers I'd agree that it is only suitable for the most informal of registers. But then informality is where most people live most of their lives, don't they? And even in that last sentence I am taking liberties with language - but libeties that you will see taken in quality newspaper leaders every day. – WS2 Jul 27 '22 at 06:16
  • @WS2: I'm not sure I'd classify the "syntactically loose" usages we're talking about here as "informal". At least *some* examples might be better labelled "poetic", "literary", "dated", "creative", etc. Your own "**taking liberties**" (with "standard syntax") describes it well. – FumbleFingers Jul 27 '22 at 11:27
  • @FumbleFingers Everyone is discussing (or was discussing, since this is an old thread) the M-W example, which is certainly not a very common usage of adjectival "almost". However, what about this: "I've been waiting for almost an hour." Isn't the argument that "almost" is an adjective there fairly strong? – MarcInManhattan Dec 28 '22 at 01:00
  • No, it's an adverb in your example. An adverb can modify a noun phrase, but not a noun. – Modern English Dec 29 '22 at 12:58

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Your example of using "almost" with a noun is kind of awkward. Failure is binary. A failure means you have not met some condition. Getting there late is a failing to show up on time. Getting there almost on time is still a failure. You may persuade somebody to overlook it but it is still a failure.

Being close to the limit is not a failure. You don't say nearly failing is almost a failure. You could say it nearly failed. Or it almost failed. Or we almost had a failure. But it is not "almost a failure" because it is not a failure.

In some cases you might apply "almost" to things that can change continuously from one thing to another. For example "almost an adult" works. Or, to quote an advertisement form some years ago. "Is it soup yet? It is almost soup."

But "failure" is a condition that either applies or does not.

puppetsock
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    Just because something looks like it is binary doesn't mean that is the way people use it in English. See [Difference between “illegal” and “very illegal”](https://ell.stackexchange.com/q/84155/9161). English is not logical. – ColleenV Feb 08 '21 at 18:07
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    @ModernEnglish: You should just accept that *very* occasionally, you will encounter adjectival ***almost*** from competent native speakers. But I strongly recommend that you yourself ***never*** use it. It's not particularly common, and as a non-native speaker you would almost certainly end up trying to use it in contexts where it simply doesn't work at all. There are many "shortcomings" even in just the text of your question here - you should work on those before "experimenting" with more "exotic" usages such as "adjectival almost". – FumbleFingers Feb 08 '21 at 18:45
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There are lots of examples in fairly casual usage of 'almost' as an adjective - The almost champion ... Born on this day in Kidderminster, Peter Collins was a force in Formula One and sports cars through the 1950s. Lots more 'almost champions' in US and UK sports journalism. An 'almost bride' (or groom) can be a woman or man on the eve of marriage or one who was jilted at that time. Maybe not so informal: In an article in Retrospect, Edinburgh University's history, classics and archaeology magazine, Richard of York has been called 'the almost king' because he came close to becoming king of England in the 15th century.

In like fashion, a 'nearly man' (or woman) can be a man or woman who fails to achieve the success or status that they might potentially have had.

Michael Harvey
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