noun
closest to the pin
Golf term for the shot that lands nearest to the hole; often used in competitions or as a prize category.
wasei-eigo (Japanese-coined English), from near pin
彼はニアピン賞を取った。
He won the closest-to-the-pin prize.
noun
very close; just missing; almost making it
Extended colloquial use for being extremely close to success or a target, but falling just short.
テストの合格点まであと1点だった。まさにニアピンだ。
I was just one point short of the passing score. That's really a near miss.
宝くじ、番号が一つ違いでニアピンだった。
My lottery number was off by one digit — so close!