far

1 of 3

adverb

ˈfär 

farther ˈfär-t͟hər  or further ˈfər-t͟hər  ; farthest or furthest ˈfər-t͟həst 

1

: at or to a considerable distance in space

wandered far from home

2

a

: to a great extent : much

far better methods

b

: by a broad interval : widely

the far distant future

3

: to or at a definite distance, point, or degree

as far as I know

4

: to an advanced point or extent

a bright student will go far

worked far into the night

5

: at a considerable distance in time

not far from the year 1870

far

2 of 3

adjective

farther or further; farthest or furthest

1

a

: remote in space

b

: distinctly different in quality or relationship

c

: remote in time

2

a

: long

a far journey

b

: of notable extent : comprehensive

a man of far vision

3

: the more distant of two

the far end

4

: extreme

the far left

a far right political organization

FAR

3 of 3

abbreviation

federal air regulation

Phrases

by far

: far and away

is by far the best runner

far be it from

: it would be inappropriate or impossible for

far be it from me to complain

far from

: of a distinctly different and especially opposite quality than

the trip was far from a failure

how far

: to what extent, degree, or distance

didn't know how far to trust them

so far

1

: to a certain extent, degree, or distance

when the water rose so far, we fled

2

: up to the present

has written one novel so far

thus far

: so far

thus far the results are negative

Synonyms

Adverb

• achingly
• almighty
• archly
• awful
• awfully
• badly
• beastly
• blisteringly
• bone
• colossally
• corking
• cracking
• damn
• damned
• dang
• deadly
• desperately
• eminently
• enormously
• especially
• ever
• exceedingly
• exceeding
• extra
• extremely
• fabulously
• fantastically
• fiercely
• filthy
• frightfully
• full
• greatly
• heavily
• highly
• hugely
• immensely
• incredibly
• intensely
• jolly
• majorly
• mightily
• mighty
• monstrous [chiefly dialect]
• mortally
• most
• much
• particularly
• passing
• rattling
• real
• really
• right
• roaring
• roaringly
• seriously
• severely
• so
• sore
• sorely
• spanking
• specially
• stinking
• such
• super
• supremely
• surpassingly
• terribly
• that
• thumping
• too
• unco
• uncommonly
• vastly
• very
• vitally
• way
• whacking
• wicked
• wildly

Adjective

• extended
• great
• lengthy
• long
• long-drawn-out
• long-drawn
• long-lived
• long-term
• marathon

Examples of far in a Sentence

Adverb

The dog wandered far from home.

These new discoveries will allow us to see far into the past.

She lives far out in the country.

The house is set far back from the road.

The deadline is not far off.

regions far to the north

a town not far from Chicago

He still lives not far from where he was born.

The car is far too expensive.

His policies are far different from those of his predecessor.

Adjective

the far corners of the world

the far reaches of outer space

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Attorneys for Reyes Gonzalez argued that the companies had failed to provide sufficient warning about the dangers of cutting the slabs and that the risks far outweighed the benefits of their products. —Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024

That confession further tarnished the rep of the Grammys, which anointed the duo with its best new artist trophy, an honor later revoked. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2024

Adjective

But in that same era, another influential enclave was being developed in a far less hospitable environment: the far end of Cape Cod, on Massachusetts’s Atlantic Coast. —Brett Berk, Architectural Digest, 25 July 2024

The bus station on Fifth and Main is also not a far walk from the festival. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 24 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adverb

Middle English fer, from Old English feorr; akin to Old High German ferro far, Old English faran to go — more at fare

First Known Use

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing far

• a far cry from
• a far sight
• as far as
• as far as (someone) is concerned
• as far as (something) is concerned
• as far as the eye can see
• as far/near as I can tell
• as/so far as one can see/tell/judge
• as/so far as one/someone knows
• as/so far as (someone) is concerned
• as/so far as (something) goes
• as/so far as (something) is concerned
• by far
• dolce far niente
• far and away
• far and near
• far and wide
• far be it from
• far cry
• far down
• far-fetched
• far-flung
• far from
• far from ideal
• far gone
• far-infrared
• far-off
• far-out
• far-reaching
• far-red
• far removed from
• far side
• far-ultraviolet
• few and far between
• from far and near
• from near and far
• go far
• go so far
• go too far
• how far
• on the far side of
• pushed things too far
• so far
• so far as
• so far, so good
• the far left
• the far right
• thus far
• well/far along in years

Kids Definition

far

1 of 2 adverb

ˈfär 

farther -t͟hər  or further ˈfər-  ; farthest or furthest -t͟həst 

1

: at or to a great distance in space or time

far from home

2

: to a great extent : much

far better

3

: to or at a definite distance, point, or degree

as far as I know

4

: to an advanced point or extent : a long way

a smart student can go far

far

2 of 2 adjective

farther or further; farthest or furthest

1

: very distant in space or time

2

: long entry 1 sense 3

a far journey

3

: the more distant of two

the far side of the lake