far

[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.
adjective, farther or further, farthest or furthest.
5.
being at a great distance; remote in time or place:
a far country; the far future.
6.
extending to a great distance:
the far frontiers of empire.
7.
more distant of the two:
the far side.
Idioms
8.
a far cry (from). cry (def 27).
9.
as far as. as1 (def 18).
10.
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.
11.
far and away, by far; undoubtedly:
She is far and away the smartest one in the class.
12.
far and wide, to great lengths; over great distances:
He traveled far and wide in search of his missing son.
Also, far and near, near and far.
13.
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.
14.
far out, Slang.
  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.
15.
few and far between. few (def 5).
16.
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.
17.
how far, to what distance, extent, or degree:
She didn't know how far they had gone in the mathematics text. How far do you think they can be trusted?
18.
on the far side of. side1 (def 26).
19.
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.
20.
so far so good, succeeding or managing adequately to this point; doing well thus far:
The work is difficult, but so far so good.
21.
the far side. side1 (def 29).
22.
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.
Origin
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
Related forms
farness, noun
overfar, adverb, adjective
unfar, adjective, adverb
Can be confused
fair, far, fare, flare (see synonym study at fair)
Usage note
See as1, farther.
Examples from the web for far
  • The legendary great white shark is far more fearsome in our imaginations than in reality.
  • We as a country and as a culture are far too deferential to the police.
  • Venomous snakes send shivers down many people's spines, but venomous fish are far more common, scientists say.
  • It is better educated, highly urbanised, far more exposed to the outside world and much less patient.
  • Much of the thrill of venturing to the far side of the world rests on the romance of difference.
  • As far as the raccoon with the big nuts, your guess is as good as mine.
  • Shellfish are a far less dramatic prey but still an important part of the leopard seal's diet.
  • Fences are fine between neighboring properties, as far as they go.
  • The number of duplicate claims among patents is far too high.
  • The arbor-shaded patio with banco seating invites guests to the garden's far reaches.
British Dictionary definitions for far

far

/fɑː/
adverb farther, further, farthest, furthest
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.
as far as
  1. to the degree or extent that
  2. to the distance or place of
  3. (informal) with reference to; as for
5.
by far, by a considerable margin
6.
far and away, by a very great margin
7.
far and wide, over great distances; everywhere
8.
far be it from me, I would not presume; on no account: far be it from me to tell you what to do
9.
far gone
  1. in an advanced state of deterioration
  2. (informal) extremely drunk
10.
go far
  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.
go too far, to exceed reasonable limits
12.
how far?, to what extent, distance, or degree?
13.
in so far as, to the degree or extent that
14.
so far
  1. up to the present moment
  2. up to a certain point, extent, degree, etc
15.
so far, so good, an expression of satisfaction with progress made
adjective (prenominal)
16.
remote in space or time: a far country, in the far past
17.
extending a great distance; long
18.
more distant: the far end of the room
19.
a far cry
  1. a long way
  2. something very different
20.
far from, in a degree, state, etc, remote from: he is far from happy
Derived Forms
farness, noun
Word Origin
Old English feorr; related to Old Frisian fīr, Old High German ferro, Latin porro forwards, Greek pera further
Word Origin and History for far
adj.

Old English feorr "far, remote, distant, to a great distance, long ago," from Proto-Germanic *ferro (cf. Old Saxon ferr, Old Frisian fer, Old Norse fjarre, Dutch ver, Old High German ferro, German fern, Gothic fairra), from PIE *per- "through, across, beyond" (cf. Sanskrit parah "farther, remote, ulterior," Hittite para "outside of," Greek pera "across, beyond," Latin per "through," Old Irish ire "farther"). Far East "China, Japan, and surrounding regions" is from 1838.

Related Abbreviations for far

FAR

Federal Acquisition Regulations
Idioms and Phrases with far

far

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