far
gb/fˈɑɹ/ us/fˈɑɹ/
A1
English
~ 400
Senses
0 senses
adverb
A1
relation
1
At a great distance away
A long way from where you are or from a place you talk about.
Usage pattern:
[something/someone] is far [from something/someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'far' with 'long' when talking about distance. 'Long' is for time or length, while 'far' is for distance.
Synonyms
distantly (More formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
near (Means close in distance; opposite of far in space.)
Collocations
far away
|far from here
|too far
|far ahead
|far behind
Themes
travel
|geography
|daily life
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The mountains look far in the distance.
- She lives far from her family.
- The store is too far to walk to.
- They traveled far into the desert.
- We could see a ship far out at sea.
Learner examples
- My school is far from my house.
- The park is far away.
- He lives far from the city.
- The bus stop is not far from here.
- The hotel is far from the beach.
adverb
A2
property
2
To a great extent
A lot; much more than usual or expected.
Usage pattern:
far [comparative adjective/adverb]
Common mistake:
Learners may forget that 'far' can be used before comparative forms for emphasis, not only for physical distance.
Synonyms
much (More common in everyday use; interchangeable in many contexts.)
Antonyms
slightly (Indicates a small degree; opposite of far in extent.)
Collocations
far better
|far worse
|far more
|far less
Themes
comparison
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- This book is far better than the last one.
- She is far more experienced than I am.
- The results were far worse than expected.
- He’s far too young to drive.
- Our team performed far better this season.
Learner examples
- This movie is far better than that one.
- He is far taller than his brother.
- The test was far harder than I thought.
- She runs far faster than me.
adjective
A2
property
3
Located a long way away
A long way from where you are or from another place you talk about.
Usage pattern:
a far [place]
Synonyms
distant (Slightly more formal and literary than 'far'.)
Antonyms
nearby (Indicates close proximity; opposite of 'far' in location.)
Collocations
far country
|far shore
|far corner
Themes
travel
|geography
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They moved to a far village in the mountains.
- I dream of traveling to far lands.
- We could see the lighthouse on the far shore.
Learner examples
- I want to visit a far country.
- He lives in a far city.
- There is a farm on the far hill.
adverb
B1
relation
4
At an advanced stage or point
A lot forward in time or progress.
Synonyms
advancedly (Technical and rare; not used in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
early (Indicates an initial stage; opposite of advanced progress.)
Collocations
so far
|as far as
Themes
time
|progress
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- So far, we have completed three chapters.
- He’s come far since his first day on the job.
- They haven’t gone very far with their research yet.
Learner examples
- So far, I like this class.
- He has come far this year.
- We have not gone very far yet.
Grammar
Dictionary form
far
IPA
GB/fˈɑɹ/
US/fˈɑɹ/
Syllables & stress
far (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (far)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: far
- Comparative: farther, further
- Superlative: farthest, furthest
Word family
Forms
farther
adjective
further
adjective
farthest
adjective
furthest
adjective
Related words
faraway
adjective B1
Negative and opposite forms
near
adverb A1
Advanced or less common
afar
adverb B2
Highlights
- Irregular comparative: farther, further Adjective
- Irregular superlative: farthest, furthest Adjective
Expressions
as far as possible
1/ˈæz fˈɑɹ ˈæz pˈɑsəbəl/
fixed phrase
To the maximum possible extent
As much as can be done within limits.
Examples
- We should try to help as far as possible.
- They reduced costs as far as possible without cutting jobs.
by far
1/bˈaɪ fˈɑɹ/
fixed phrase
To a very great extent
Much more than anything else; the most by a lot.
Examples
- She is by far the best player on the team.
- This is by far the most difficult exam I’ve taken.
so far
1/sˈoʊ fˈɑɹ/
fixed phrase
Up to now or until this point
Until now; up to this time or point.
Examples
- So far, everything has gone well.
- So far, everything is going well.
- We’ve raised $500 so far for the charity.
- We have raised $500 so far for the project.
as far as I know
1/ˈæz fˈɑɹ ˈæz ˈaɪ nˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
To the best of my knowledge
From what I know; based on my information.
Examples
- As far as I know, they are still together.
- As far as I know, there’s no meeting today.
as far as I know
2/ˈæz fˈɑɹ ˈæz ˈaɪ nˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
To my knowledge; based on what I know now
Based on what I know right now.
Examples
- As far as I know, she’s still in Paris.
- As far as I know, this is the last train.
as far as I know
3/ˈæz fˈɑɹ ˈæz ˈaɪ nˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
according to what I know now
You say this to show you are telling what you know, but it might not be complete or correct.
Examples
- As far as I know, they’re still together.
- As far as I know, the meeting is at 10.