close and closely share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. close means “move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut”. closely means “in a close relation or position in time or space”. close is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkloʊs/
1.v.move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
“Close the door”
2.v.become closed
“The windows closed with a loud bang”
3.v.cease to operate or cause to cease operating
“The owners decided to move and to close the factory”
/ˈkloʊsli/
1.adv.in a close relation or position in time or space
“the onsets were closely timed”
2.adv.in an attentive manner
“he remained close on his guard”
3.adv.in a close manner
“the two phenomena are intimately connected”
| close | closely | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkloʊs/ | /ˈkloʊsli/ |
| Said | klohs | KLOH-slee |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | verb, adjective, noun, adverb | adverb |
| Senses | 37 | 3 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | shut | none recorded |
Full entry for close · Full entry for closely · More comparisons