distant

[ dis-tuhnt ]

adjective

1. far off or apart in space; not near at hand; remote or removed (often followed by from ):

   a distant place; a town three miles distant from here.

2. apart or far off in time:

   distant centuries past.

3. remote or far apart in any respect:

   a distant relative.

4. reserved or aloof; not familiar or cordial:

   a distant greeting.

   Synonyms: withdrawn, cool

5. arriving from or going to a distance, as a communication, journey, etc.:

   I have here a distant letter from Japan.

distant

/ ˈdɪstənt /

adjective

1. far away or apart in space or time
2. postpositive separated in space or time by a specified distance
3. apart in relevance, association, or relationship

   a distant cousin

4. coming from or going to a faraway place

   a distant journey

5. remote in manner; aloof
6. abstracted; absent

   a distant look

Derived Forms

• ˈdistantly, adverb
• ˈdistantness, noun

Other Words From

• distant·ly adverb
• distant·ness noun
• over·distant adjective
• over·distant·ly adverb
• quasi-distant adjective
• quasi-distant·ly adverb
• ultra·distant adjective
• un·distant adjective
• un·distant·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of distant¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English dista(u)nt, from Anglo-French, from Latin distant-, stem of distāns “standing apart,” present participle of distāre “to stand apart,” from di- di- ² + stāre “to stand”; stand

Word History and Origins

Origin of distant¹

C14: from Latin distāre to be distant, from dis- ¹+ stāre to stand

Example Sentences

In winter you traipse around the park feeling like an ant traversing the tundra, spying distant sculptures that get no more interesting — only bigger, more intimidating — as you approach.

From Washington Post

Though the scene made me uneasy, a distant ripping noise, like a doll being ripped limb from limb, terrified me.

From Washington Post

While he’s only a stock tick or two away from being the richest person in the world, during his tenure Amazon’s stock market results come in a distant second to Monster Beverage, the energy drink maker.

From Quartz

A new breakthrough in the ability to connect distant qubits could show a way forward.

From Singularity Hub 

A distant downpour sends out a staccato riff that can be heard for miles, even as fish and marine invertebrates snap out a syncopated rhythm designed to scare off predators or attract mates.

From Time

In the process, we get straightjacketed into emotionally distant, competitive lives.

From The Daily Beast

There were stories of distant strife, in Bosnia, Rwanda, and Northern Ireland, and those stories had the whiff of a different era.

From The Daily Beast

The local misses what could have been if they had moved someplace distant and different.

From The Daily Beast

In the not too distant future, these young people will control billions of dollars.

From The Daily Beast

In the post-Kefauver era of the early 1950s, it had many advantages over its distant desert sister.

From The Daily Beast

Bells were pealing and tolling in all directions, and the air was filled with the sound of distant shouts and cries.

From Project Gutenberg

Between South and North, the probabilities of a serious, and no very distant rupture, are strong and manifest.

From Project Gutenberg

The difficulty of educating handlers of bills in distant places as to American credits.

From Project Gutenberg

"Yes, Alessandro," she answered faintly, the gusts sweeping her voice like a distant echo past him.

From Project Gutenberg

See how those distant peaks rise serenely over the southern horizon!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• far
• far-flung
• far-off
• inaccessible
• isolated
• obscure
• remote
• removed
• secluded