far cry from, a
Idioms-
Also, far from . Very different from, as in Thinking someone is stupid is a far cry from saying so , or Far from being neutral, Jack regarded him as his friend . The first term may have originated as calculating the distance of one's enemies by shouting, but it has been used figuratively (signifying difference rather than distance) since the early 1800s. The variant, dating from the mid-1600s, is most often used with a participle, as in the example ( being ).
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far from it . An interjection expressing strong denial, as in I thought you were bored.—Far from it, I enjoyed the evening .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That’s a far cry from a bear market, which is characterized by a market decline of 20% or more.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
This is a far cry from a general ability to tax foreign importations.
From Slate • Mar. 4, 2026
It had touched a two-year high earlier this month as the company announced a raft of new orders, but it’s still a far cry from a March 1, 2019, record close of $400.62.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026
He also came from Belgium by way of UC Santa Barbara—a far cry from a college hoops blue blood.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025
Knowledge of simple basics was a far cry from a fully expanded system.
From Ye of Little Faith by Graham, Roger Phillips
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
