нареч. almost, (very) nearly, all but; by a hair’s breadth; ~ да го убият he was within an ace of being killed; ~ да улучи he missed by a hair’s breadth; ~ не загуби работата си he came near to losing his job; ~ нямаше да успеем да избягаме we had a narrow/hair’s-breadth escape; ~ щяха да го скъсат на изпита he hardly scraped through the examination.