faraway
gb/fˈɑɹəwˈeɪ/ us/fˈɑɹəwˈeɪ/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
distant in space
very far from here
Usage pattern:
[a faraway place/thing/person]
Common mistake:
For the adverb meaning, English more often uses two words: “far away,” not “faraway.”
Synonyms
distant (neutral and very common in all contexts.)
|
far-off (slightly more descriptive and literary.)
|
remote (often suggests difficult to reach.)
Antonyms
nearby (close in physical distance.)
|
close (not far; near in space.)
Collocations
faraway village
|faraway town
|faraway island
|faraway country
|faraway shore
|faraway mountain
|faraway star
|faraway planet
|faraway galaxy
|faraway sound
Themes
travel
|places
|distance
Examples
- They moved to a faraway village in the mountains.
- From the hill, you could see faraway lights along the coast.
- A faraway siren broke the silence of the night.
Learner examples
- My aunt lives in a faraway city.
- We saw faraway mountains.
adjective
B2
property
2
remote and unfamiliar
far away and not familiar
Usage pattern:
[faraway lands/places]
Common mistake:
This meaning often carries a feeling of “exotic/unknown,” not only physical distance.
Synonyms
far-flung (emphasizes being spread out over great distances.)
|
exotic (focuses on being unusual or foreign, not distance itself.)
|
remote (can imply isolation as well as distance.)
Antonyms
local (connected to your own area.)
|
familiar (known and not strange.)
Collocations
faraway lands
|faraway places
|faraway kingdoms
|faraway cultures
|faraway shores
|faraway corners of the world
Themes
travel
|culture
|storytelling
Examples
- As a child, she dreamed of faraway lands and adventures.
- The recipe uses spices from faraway places.
- He collected stories from faraway cultures.
Learner examples
- I like books about faraway lands.
adjective
B2
property
3
distant in time
a long time ago or in the future
Usage pattern:
[the faraway past/future]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use “faraway” where “distant” is more natural for time; both are possible, but “distant past/future” is more common.
Synonyms
distant (most common with time (distant past/future).)
|
remote (often suggests something hard to imagine or connect to.)
Antonyms
recent (not long ago.)
|
imminent (about to happen very soon.)
Collocations
faraway past
|faraway future
|in the faraway past
|in the faraway future
Themes
time
|history
|future
Examples
- The tradition dates back to the faraway past.
- In the faraway future, cities may run entirely on clean energy.
- That summer now feels like a faraway memory.
Learner examples
- Dinosaurs lived in the faraway past.
adjective
C1
state
4
dreamy or absent-minded
not focused here; thinking about something else
Usage pattern:
[a faraway look/voice/smile]
Common mistake:
This meaning describes a person’s expression or voice, not physical distance.
Synonyms
distant (also used for an unfocused or emotionally detached look.)
|
dreamy (suggests pleasant thoughts rather than detachment.)
|
absent-minded (emphasizes not paying attention.)
Antonyms
alert (fully attentive and aware.)
|
focused (concentrating on what is happening.)
Collocations
faraway look
|faraway gaze
|faraway eyes
|faraway expression
|faraway smile
|faraway voice
Themes
emotions
|communication
|daily_life
Examples
- He stared out the window with a faraway look.
- Her voice sounded faraway, as if she was thinking of something else.
- She gave a faraway smile and didn’t answer right away.
Learner examples
- He had a faraway look.
adverb
literary
B2
relation
5
at a great distance
from a long distance
Usage pattern:
[be/seem/sound faraway]
Common mistake:
As an adverb, “far away” (two words) is much more common than “faraway.”
Synonyms
far away (standard modern spelling for the adverb.)
|
at a distance (more formal and descriptive.)
Antonyms
nearby (from a short distance away.)
|
close by (very near.)
Collocations
seem faraway
|sound faraway
|feel faraway
|from faraway
Themes
distance
|places
Examples
- A dog barked faraway in the dark.
- The music drifted faraway across the water.
Learner examples
- I heard a sound faraway.
Grammar
Dictionary form
faraway
IPA
GB/fˈɑɹəwˈeɪ/
US/fˈɑɹəwˈeɪ/
Syllables & stress
faraway (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (faraway)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: faraway
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.