far

American  

[fahr] / fɑr /

adverb

1. at or to a great distance; a long way off; at or to a remote point.

   We sailed far ahead of the fleet.

2. at or to a remote or advanced time.

   We talked far into the night.

3. at or to a great, advanced, or definite point of progress, or degree.

   Having come this far, we might as well continue.

4. much or many.

   I need far more time.

   We gained far more advantages.

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adjective

farther, further, farthest, furthest

1. being at a great distance; remote in time or place: the far future.

   a far country;

   the far future.

2. extending to a great distance.

   the far frontiers of empire.

3. more distant of the two.

   the far side.

4. having or representing extreme political views or beliefs.

   parties on the far left;

   the rise of the far right.

idioms

1. as far as. as.

2. on the far side of. side.

3. a far cry (from). cry.

4. far be it from me, I do not wish or dare (to interrupt, criticize, etc.).

   Far be it from me to complain, but it's getting stuffy in here.

5. few and far between. few.

6. so far,

   1. up to now.

      So far, I've had no reply to my request.

   2. up to a certain point or extent.

      We were able to plan only so far because of various factors beyond our control.

7. far and away, by far; undoubtedly.

   She is far and away the smartest one in the class.

8. the far side. side.

9. far out,

   1. unconventional; offbeat.

      His sense of humor is far out.

   2. radical; extreme.

      political opinions that are far out.

   3. recondite or esoteric.

      an interest in art that was considered far out.

10. how far, to what distance, extent, or degree: How far do you think they can be trusted?

    She didn't know how far they had gone in the mathematics text.

    How far do you think they can be trusted?

11. go far,

    1. to attain success.

       With so much talent he should go far.

    2. to have a great effect toward; help.

       The new evidence will go far toward proving the defendant's guilt.

12. by far,

    1. by a great deal; very much.

       too expensive by far.

    2. plainly; obviously.

       This melon is by far the ripest of the lot.

13. far and wide, to great lengths; over great distances: Also far and near, near and far.

    He traveled far and wide in search of his missing son.

14. thus far,

    1. up to the present; up to now.

       We have met no resistance to our plan thus far.

    2. to a particular degree, point, or extent.

       When you get thus far in the experiment, consult with the professor.

15. so far so good, succeeding or managing adequately to this point; doing well thus far.

    The work is difficult, but so far so good.

far British  

/ fɑː /

adverb

1. at, to, or from a great distance

2. at or to a remote time

   far in the future

3. to a considerable degree; very much

   a far better plan

4. 1. to the degree or extent that

   2. to the distance or place of

   3. informal with reference to; as for

5. by a considerable margin

6. by a very great margin

7. over great distances; everywhere

8. I would not presume; on no account

   far be it from me to tell you what to do

9. 1. in an advanced state of deterioration

   2. informal extremely drunk

10. 1. to be successful; achieve much

       your son will go far

    2. to be sufficient or last long

       the wine didn't go far

11. to exceed reasonable limits

12. to what extent, distance, or degree?

13. to the degree or extent that

14. 1. up to the present moment

    2. up to a certain point, extent, degree, etc

15. an expression of satisfaction with progress made

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adjective

1. remote in space or time

   a far country

   in the far past

2. extending a great distance; long

3. more distant

   the far end of the room

4. 1. a long way

   2. something very different

5. in a degree, state, etc, remote from

   he is far from happy

far More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing far

• as far as
• as far as possible
• as far as that goes
• by far
• carry too far
• few and far between
• go far
• go so far as to
• go too far
• so far
• so far so good

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Usage

See as ¹, farther.

Other Word Forms

• farness noun
• overfar adverb

Etymology

Origin of far

First recorded before 900; Middle English far, fer, Old English feorr; cognate with Old High German ferr, Old Norse fjar, Gothic fairra; akin to German fern “far,” Latin porrō “forward, further,” Greek prós(s)ō, pórsō, pórrō “forward, onward”

Explanation

Use the adverb far to mean "distant," "remote," or "at a geat distance away." When you see a ship far out at sea, it's so remote from where you are that you might soon need binoculars to catch a glimpse of it. Far is used as both an adverb and an adjective, and it can mean both "distant in space," but also "distant in time," and "a lot." Therefore you can say, "Just look at us! We've come so far!" and also "You are far better at speaking French than I am." Old English had slightly different words for the adjective — feorr — and the adverb — feor.

Example Sentences

Nvidia’s stock is up 5.37% so far this year.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Mythos has already paid for itself as far as society is concerned.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

The world and the sport will be a far lesser place without him.''

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

And then as far as my Netflix Is a Joke special, I also want people to know I don’t consider myself a stand-up comedian because that’s a different art in itself.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

One night during evening roll call, a platoon somewhere far down the Lagerstrasse began a rhythmic stamping.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• much
• significantly
• somewhat
• well