Meanings
alternative close but no cigar
- colloquialidiomaticUsed to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite.First known use early 20th c.
Betty ran all out in the sprint race; yet, it was close, but no cigar.
1 more example
The long distance trophy [for alumni who had traveled the furthest to attend the reunion], an appropriately inscribed silver cigarette case, was awarded to Em Gooch who had made the trip from Lincoln, Neb. for the occasion. Several other members came close, but no cigar, and we trust that all those in New York and Philadelphia who failed to show up, without reason, will read these lines with a quiver.
1929 July 2, J. C. R., “’28’s First”, in Asa S[mith] Bushnell [III], editor, Princeton Alumni Weekly, volume XXIX, number 36, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1166, column 2Synonyms: almost doesn't count, a miss is as good as a mile
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseUsed to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite.
Origin
From the practice of giving cigars as prizes at carnivals in the United States in the 20th century; those who did not win would fail to receive a cigar, even if they came close.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 功虧一簣 /功亏一篑, 失之毫釐，差之千里
- 功虧一簣 /功亏一篑 (gōngkuīyīkuì)used to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- 失之毫釐，差之千里used to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- 踏錯一步，滿盤皆輸 /踏错一步used to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- 满盘皆输 (tàcuòyībù, mǎnpánjiēshū)used to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- 就差一點點 /就差一点点 (jiù chà yī diǎndiǎn)used to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Danish lige ved og næsten slår ingen mand af hesten, så tæt på og dog så langt fra
- lige ved og næsten slår ingen mand af hestenused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- så tæt på og dog så langt fraused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Dutch bijna telt niet, het is net niks
- bijna telt nietused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- het is net niksused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Finnish melkein muttei ihan
- melkein muttei ihanused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
French presque réussi, mais raté
- presque réussi, mais ratéused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
German knapp daneben ist auch vorbei, dicht daneben ist auch vorbei
- knapp daneben ist auch vorbeiused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- dicht daneben ist auch vorbeiused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Indonesian dekat tak tercapai, jauh tak berantara
- dekat tak tercapai, jauh tak berantaraused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Irish ní fearr Éire ná orlach
- ní fearr Éire ná orlachused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Italian ci sei quasi
- ci sei quasiused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Japanese 惜しい
- 惜しい (oshii)used to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Latvian gandrīz neskaitās
- gandrīz neskaitāsused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Malay دکت تق ترچاڤاي, جاءوه تق برانتارا, dekat tak tercapai, jauh tak berantara
- دکت تق ترچاڤاي, جاءوه تق برانتاراused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- dekat tak tercapai, jauh tak berantaraused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Norwegian nesten holder ikke
- nesten holder ikkeused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Polish prawie robi wielką różnicę
- prawie robi wielką różnicęused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Portuguese bateu na trave, passou perto, só que não
- bateu na traveused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- passou perto, só que nãoused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- ficou no quaseused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Spanish de casi no se muere nadie, los casis no cuentan
- de casi no se muere nadieused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
- los casis no cuentanused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Swedish nära skjuter ingen hare
- nära skjuter ingen hareused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Turkish neredeyse doğru ama tam olarak değil
- neredeyse doğru ama tam olarak değilused to indicate that one is almost correct or has almost succeeded, but not quite
Cite this entry
close, but no cigar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%2C%20but%20no%20cigar
“close, but no cigar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%2C%20but%20no%20cigar. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “close, but no cigar,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/close%2C%20but%20no%20cigar.
Source: close, but no cigar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.