So near and yet so far là gì

so near [and] yet so far

1. Some outcome is or was very close to happening, but it will not, may not, or did not happen, and therefore it seems like it is or was never so close. They reached the semifinals, only to have their championship dreams dashed by a crushing 4-0 defeat. So near, yet so far.

2. One is very close to completing or succeeding at something, but there is still difficult work to do before that can happen. I finished the rough draft of my thesis, but I still have to edit and proofread it. I'm so near and yet so far.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

so near and yet so far

so near yet so far

You say so near and yet so far or so near yet so far to say that someone almost achieved what they wanted, but in the end just failed. It was a case of so near yet so far yesterday for Catriona Jones when she finished just one shot behind the tournament winner.

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

so near and yet so far

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

so ˌnear and ˌyet so ˈfar

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

so near and yet so far

Nearby but still unattainable. This term appeared in the Roman writer Martial’s Epigrams [ca. a.d. 85] but apparently did not enter the English language for some time. Tennyson used it in “In Memoriam” [1850]: “He seems so near and yet so far.”

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer

• so close [and] yet so far
• so near and yet so far
• be close to the mark
• be close to/near the mark
• close to the mark
• too close to call
• closing
• close to your heart
• close to [one's] heart
• come to a close