All 50 Uses of

approach
in
Jane Eyre

"I want you to come here;" and seating himself in an arm-chair, he intimated by a gesture that I was to approach and stand before him.
p. 12.2

approach = come near

Mrs. Reed occupied her usual seat by the fireside; she made a signal to me to approach; I did so, and she introduced me to the stony stranger with the words: "This is the little girl respecting whom I applied to you."
p. 38.9

It wanted but a few minutes of six, and shortly after that hour had struck, the distant roll of wheels announced the coming coach; I went to the door and watched its lamps approach rapidly through the gloom.
p. 50.4

"Never," I thought; and ardently I wished to die. While sobbing out this wish in broken accents, some one approached:
p. 81.8

approached = came near

Having invited Helen and me to approach the table, and placed before each of us a cup of tea with one delicious but thin morsel of toast, she got up, unlocked a drawer, and taking from it a parcel wrapped in paper, disclosed presently to our eyes a good-sized seed-cake.
p. 86.2

approach = come near

"Approach the table," said he; and I wheeled it to his couch.
p. 146.4

"Evening approaches," said I, as I looked towards the window.
p. 183.0

approaches = comes near

It was with some trepidation that I perceived the hour approach when I was to repair with my charge to the drawing-room.
p. 197.7

approach = come near

I did not like this iteration of one idea — this strange recurrence of one image, and I grew nervous as bedtime approached and the hour of the vision drew near.
p. 255.1

approached = came near

I approached my cheek to her lips: she would not touch it.
p. 276.2

approached = moved nearer

Diana and Mary Rivers became more sad and silent as the day approached for leaving their brother and their home.
p. 410.2 *

approached = got near

It was near Christmas by the time all was settled: the season of general holiday approached.
p. 449.1

We saw him approach her; and then, ma'am, she yelled and gave a spring, and the next minute she lay smashed on the pavement.
p. 493.9

approach = get near

Miss Miller approaching, seemed to ask her a question, and having received her answer, went back to her place, and said aloud "Monitor of the first class, fetch the globes!"†
p. 56.8

Some heavy clouds, swept from the sky by a rising wind, had left the moon bare; and her light, streaming in through a window near, shone full both on us and on the approaching figure, which we at once recognised as Miss Temple.†
p. 83.8

I am a little deaf," returned the good lady, approaching her ear to my mouth.†
p. 114.9

She approached.†
p. 119.8

It was three o'clock; the church bell tolled as I passed under the belfry: the charm of the hour lay in its approaching dimness, in the low-gliding and pale-beaming sun.†
p. 131.4

The din was on the causeway: a horse was coming; the windings of the lane yet hid it, but it approached.†
p. 132.5

As this horse approached, and as I watched for it to appear through the dusk, I remembered certain of Bessie's tales, wherein figured a North-of-England spirit called a "Gytrash," which, in the form of horse, mule, or large dog, haunted solitary ways, and sometimes came upon belated travellers, as this horse was now coming upon me.†
p. 132.6

Mr. Rochester must have been aware of the entrance of Mrs. Fairfax and myself; but it appeared he was not in the mood to notice us, for he never lifted his head as we approached.†
p. 141.7

A dream had scarcely approached my ear, when it fled affrighted, scared by a marrow-freezing incident enough.†
p. 173.5

How near had I approached him at that moment!†
p. 202.7

She approached the basin, and bent over it as if to fill her pitcher; she again lifted it to her head.†
p. 213.6

Too often she betrayed this, by the undue vent she gave to a spiteful antipathy she had conceived against little Adele: pushing her away with some contumelious epithet if she happened to approach her; sometimes ordering her from the room, and always treating her with coldness and acrimony.†
p. 216.2

A post-chaise was approaching.†
p. 220.1

As she said this, she approached her tall person and ample garments so near the window, that I was obliged to bend back almost to the breaking of my spine: in her eagerness she did not observe me at first, but when she did, she curled her lip and moved to another casement.†
p. 220.2

You are silly, because, suffer as you may, you will not beckon it to approach, nor will you stir one step to meet it where it waits you.†
p. 228.5

Chance laid them somewhat apart; let them be once approached and bliss results.†
p. 228.9

He still waited; he held a key in his hand: approaching one of the small, black doors, he put it in the lock; he paused, and addressed me again.†
p. 241.3

The candle, wasted at last, went out; as it expired, I perceived streaks of grey light edging the window curtains: dawn was then approaching.†
p. 244.9

Then he approached Mason, whom the surgeon was already handling.†
p. 245.4

I approached him, and said the gentlemen were coming; he nodded: then I looked carefully round and listened.†
p. 248.4

It required some courage to disturb so interesting a party; my errand, however, was one I could not defer, so I approached the master where he stood at Miss Ingram's side.†
p. 257.2

Tea ready, I was going to approach the table; but she desired me to sit still, quite in her old peremptory tones.†
p. 262.1

I approached the bed; I opened the curtains and leant over the high-piled pillows.†
p. 265.6

"Is that a portrait of some one you know?" asked Eliza, who had approached me unnoticed.†
p. 269.6

I started at first, and then I approached him.†
p. 288.1

We were now approaching Thornfield.†
p. 311.4

Though haughty Hate should strike me down,
Right, bar approach to me,
And grinding Might, with furious frown,
Swear endless enmity.†
p. 314.0

It drew aside the window-curtain and looked out; perhaps it saw dawn approaching, for, taking the candle, it retreated to the door.†
p. 327.5

(he stooped and approached his lips to my ear); "because, if you won't, I'll try violence.†
p. 349.1

Jane, I approached the verge of despair; a remnant of self-respect was all that intervened between me and the gulf.†
p. 354.3

Any enjoyment that bordered on riot seemed to approach me to her and her vices, and I eschewed it.†
p. 358.9

What business had I to approach the white door or touch the glittering knocker?†
p. 376.4

I approached it; it was a road or a track: it led straight up to the light, which now beamed from a sort of knoll, amidst a clump of trees — firs, apparently, from what I could distinguish of the character of their forms and foliage through the gloom.†
p. 381.0

Oh, this last hour, approaching in such horror!†
p. 385.9

Mr. Rivers now closed his book, approached the table, and, as he took a seat, fixed his blue pictorial-looking eyes full on me.†
p. 396.9

One morning, being left alone with him a few minutes in the parlour, I ventured to approach the window-recess — which his table, chair, and desk consecrated as a kind of study — and I was going to speak, though not very well knowing in what words to frame my inquiry — for it is at all times difficult to break the ice of reserve glassing over such natures as his — when he saved me the trouble by being the first to commence a dialogue.†
p. 405.9

I found or devised something for you three weeks ago; but as you seemed both useful and happy here — as my sisters had evidently become attached to you, and your society gave them unusual pleasure — I deemed it inexpedient to break in on your mutual comfort till their approaching departure from Marsh End should render yours necessary.†
p. 406.4

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Best Example Sentences
From Other Sources
Grouped by 3 Meanings

Definitions:

(1) (approach as in: approached the city)
to get closer to (near in space, time, quantity, or quality)
(2) (approach as in: use the best approach)
a way of doing something; or a route that leads to a particular place
(3) (approach as in: approached her with the proposal)
to begin communication with someone about something -- often a proposal or a delicate topic
(4) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

More rarely (and typically only in classic literature), the phrase nearest approach to as used in "her nearest approach to an apology" or "her nearest approach to a smile" typically means that "something is as close to something else as it ever gets." "As near an approach to" can have a similar meaning.

Page Numbers by Book Edition

approach in Jane Eyre

approach
in
Jane Eyre