Oxford 3000 Words Starting with N – Complete List with Meanings & Quizzes

nail noun / verb

Short meaning (noun): a small metal pin used to fasten things.

Short meaning (noun): the hard surface at the end of a finger or toe.

Short meaning (verb): to fasten something with nails.

Example: She hammered a nail into the wall.

naked adjective

Short meaning: not wearing clothes; not covered.

Example: The statue showed a naked figure.

name noun / verb

Short meaning (noun): the word someone or something is called.

Short meaning (verb): to give someone or something a name.

Example: What is your name?

narrow adjective / verb

Short meaning (adj): small in width; not wide.

Short meaning (verb): to make something smaller in range or width.

Example: The road is too narrow for two cars.

nation noun

Short meaning: a large group of people living in one country under one government.

Example: The nation celebrated the holiday together.

national adjective / noun

Short meaning (adj): relating to a whole country.

Short meaning (noun): a person who belongs to a particular nation.

Example: National elections are held every four years.

native adjective / noun

Short meaning (adj): born in a particular place.

Short meaning (noun): a person who was born in a specific location.

Example: English is not her native language.

natural adjective

Short meaning: coming from nature; not made by humans.

Example: This product uses natural ingredients.

naturally adverb

Short meaning: in a natural or normal way; as expected.

Example: Children naturally learn languages quickly.

nature noun

Short meaning: the physical world including plants, animals, and landscapes; the basic quality of something.

Example: They enjoy spending time in nature.

navy noun

Short meaning: the military force that operates at sea.

Example: Her brother joined the navy.

near prep. / adverb / adjective

Short meaning: close in distance, time, or relationship.

Example: The school is near the park.

nearby adverb / adjective

Short meaning: close to a particular place; not far away.

Example: They live nearby.

nearly adverb

Short meaning: almost; not quite.

Example: The bottle is nearly empty.

neat adjective

Short meaning: tidy, clean, and well arranged.

Example: She keeps her desk very neat.

necessarily adverb

Short meaning: used to say something is not always true; in an essential way.

Example: Expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better.

necessary adjective

Short meaning: needed or essential.

Example: It's necessary to bring ID to the exam.

neck noun

Short meaning: the part of the body between the head and shoulders.

Example: She wore a scarf around her neck.

need verb / noun

Short meaning (verb): to require something.

Short meaning (noun): something important or necessary.

Example: You need more rest.

needle noun

Short meaning: a thin, pointed metal tool used for sewing or injections.

Example: She threaded the needle quickly.

negative adjective / noun

Short meaning (adj): expressing no; showing something bad or harmful.

Short meaning (noun): a result showing something is not present.

Example: The test result was negative.

neighbor noun

Short meaning: a person who lives near you.

Example: Our neighbor brought us cookies.

neighborhood noun

Short meaning: a local area where people live.

Example: It’s a quiet neighborhood.

neither det. / pronoun / conjunction / adverb

Short meaning: not one and not the other of two things.

Example: Neither answer is correct.

nephew noun

Short meaning: the son of your brother or sister.

Example: My nephew is five years old.

nerve noun

Short meaning: a part of the body that carries signals to the brain; courage.

Example: The dentist touched a nerve by mistake.

nervous adjective

Short meaning: worried or afraid about something.

Example: She felt nervous before the interview.

nest noun

Short meaning: a structure made by birds to lay eggs and raise young.

Example: The bird built a nest in the tree.

net noun / verb / adjective

Short meaning: a piece of material with small holes used in sports or catching things; also the amount left after deductions.

Example: His net income increased this year.

network noun / verb

Short meaning: a group of connected people or systems, especially for communication or support.

Example: The laptop couldn’t connect to the network.

never adverb

Short meaning: not at any time.

Example: He has never been to Canada.

nevertheless adverb

Short meaning: in spite of what has just been said; however.

Example: It was raining; nevertheless, they went out.

new adjective

Short meaning: recently made, built, bought, or discovered.

Example: She bought a new laptop.

newly adverb

Short meaning: recently; not long ago.

Example: They are a newly married couple.

news noun (uncountable)

Short meaning: information about recent events.

Example: I heard the news this morning.

newspaper noun

Short meaning: a printed publication containing news, articles, and advertisements.

Example: He reads the newspaper every morning.

next adj. / adv. / preposition

Short meaning: coming immediately after in order or time.

Example: I’ll call you next week.

next to preposition

Short meaning: beside or very close to something.

Example: She sat next to her friend.

nice adjective

Short meaning: pleasant, enjoyable, or kind.

Example: It was a nice evening.

nicely adverb

Short meaning: in a pleasant or satisfactory way.

Example: The room is nicely decorated.

niece noun

Short meaning: the daughter of your brother or sister.

Example: My niece is starting school this year.

night noun

Short meaning: the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise.

Example: The streets are quiet at night.

nothing pronoun / adverb

Short meaning: not anything; zero.

Example: There’s nothing in the box.

notice verb / noun

Short meaning: to see or become aware of something; also a written announcement.

Example: Did you notice the new sign?

noticeable adjective

Short meaning: easy to see or observe.

Example: There’s been a noticeable improvement.

notion noun

Short meaning: an idea or belief about something.

Example: She had no notion of what to expect.

novel noun / adjective

Short meaning: a long story in book form; also means new or unusual.

Example: She’s reading a mystery novel.

November noun

Short meaning: the 11th month of the year.

Example: The event is in November.

now adverb

Short meaning: at the present time.

Example: I have to go now.

nowhere adverb

Short meaning: not in any place.

Example: There’s nowhere to sit.

nuclear adjective

Short meaning: relating to the energy stored in the nucleus of atoms.

Example: Nuclear power is controversial.

number noun / verb

Short meaning: a symbol that shows quantity; also to label things in order.

Example: Write your phone number here.

numerous adjective

Short meaning: existing in large numbers; many.

Example: She has numerous books.

nurse noun / verb

Short meaning: a person trained to care for sick people; also to care for someone.

Example: The nurse checked his blood pressure.

nut noun

Short meaning: a hard-shelled seed that can be eaten; also a metal fastener.

Example: Almonds are my favorite nuts.