distant
gb/dˈɪstənt/ us/dˈɪstənt/
A2
English
~ 2800
távoli, távol van, távolságtartó
A2
1
Usage pattern:
[something] is distant from [something]
The mountains looked distant on the horizon.
A hegyek távolinak tűntek a láthatáron.
We often think about the distant future when making plans.
Tervezéskor gyakran gondolunk a távoli jövőre.
She has a distant cousin living in Australia.
That event happened in the distant past.
From the shore, the ship appeared distant and small.
Learner examples
The school is distant from my home.
Az iskola távol van az otthonomtól.
He lives in a distant city.
Egy távoli városban él.
We talked about the distant future.
I remember my distant childhood.
The island is distant from the coast.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'distant' with 'different', but 'distant' refers to space or time, not difference in kind.
Meaning
Far away in space or time
Collocations
distant past
|distant future
|distant place
|distant memory
|distant relative
Synonyms
faraway (More informal and often sounds more poetic or descriptive.)
Antonyms
near (Describes something close in distance or time, the opposite of 'distant'.)
Themes
location
|time
|travel
|space
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Far away from you, or happening a long time ago or in the future.
Far away in space or separated by a long period of time.
B1
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is distant toward/from [someone]
Since the argument, he has been distant toward me.
A vita óta távolságtartó velem szemben.
Her distant manner made it hard to get to know her.
Távolságtartó modora miatt nehéz volt megismerni.
They grew more distant after moving to different cities.
He remained distant during the conversation, barely making eye contact.
Learner examples
My friend is distant today.
A barátom ma távolságtartó.
She is distant to new people.
Távolságtartó az ismeretlen emberekkel szemben.
After the fight, he became distant.
He is nice, but a little distant.
They are distant from each other now.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'distant' here means physically far away, but it can also mean emotionally far away even if physically close.
Meaning
Not friendly; emotionally remote
Collocations
seem distant
|remain distant
|emotionally distant
|become distant
Synonyms
aloof (Often implies deliberate emotional distance or superiority.)
Antonyms
warm (Shows friendliness and emotional closeness, opposite of 'distant' in this sense.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not friendly or warm; seeming to be apart from others.
Not showing warmth or friendliness; emotionally detached.
Grammar
Dictionary form
distant
IPA
GB/dˈɪstənt/
US/dˈɪstənt/
Syllables & stress
dis - tant (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (dis)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: distant
Word family
Core family
distance
noun A2
distantly
adverb
Expressions
distant future
1/dˈɪstənt fjˈut͡ʃɚ/
fixed phrase
Time far ahead in future
A time that is many years ahead from now.
Examples
- We may have colonies on Mars in the distant future.
- In the distant future, technology might solve this problem.
distant memory
1/dˈɪstənt mˈɛmɚi/
fixed phrase
Memory from long ago
Something you remember from a long time ago.
Examples
- My childhood summers are now just a distant memory.
- The war is a distant memory for most people in this country.
distant past
1/dˈɪstənt pˈæst/
fixed phrase
Time far back in history
A time that happened many years ago.
Examples
- These ruins are from the distant past.
- In the distant past, people traveled only on foot.
distant relative
1/dˈɪstənt ɹˈɛlɪtɪv/
fixed phrase
Family member not closely related
A person in your family, but not closely related to you.
Examples
- I met a distant relative at the reunion who I had never seen before.
- She met a distant relative at the wedding who she had never seen before.
- He's some kind of distant relative on my father's side.
- He's a distant relative of mine — our great-grandparents were siblings.