mile
gb/mˈaɪl/ us/mˈaɪl/
A2
English
~ 800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
quantity
1
Unit of distance measurement
A measure for distance equal to about 1.6 kilometers or 5,280 feet.
Usage pattern:
[distance] miles
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mile' with 'meter' or 'kilometer', especially when converting distances between metric and imperial systems.
Synonyms
kilometer (Metric equivalent, not identical in value; used in most countries outside the US/UK for distance.)
Antonyms
kilometer (Metric counterpart; seen as opposite in contexts contrasting imperial and metric units.)
Collocations
miles per hour
|run a mile
|within miles
|mile marker
|square miles
Themes
measurement
|travel
|sports
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The town is five miles away from here.
- He ran a mile in under six minutes.
- We drove 300 miles to visit my grandparents.
- The sign said 'Next gas station: 20 miles'.
- The marathon is 26.2 miles long.
Learner examples
- My school is one mile from my house.
- He can run one mile very fast.
- The shop is two miles away.
- We walked three miles in the park.
Noun
B1
relation
2
Figurative long distance or difference
A way of saying there is a big difference or distance between two things.
Usage pattern:
[something] miles apart
Common mistake:
Some learners take figurative uses literally and think it refers to actual physical distance.
Synonyms
far ahead (Similar meaning when describing superiority or advancement, but less figurative.)
Antonyms
close together (Opposite when referring to physical or figurative nearness.)
Collocations
miles apart
|miles ahead
|miles away (figurative)
Themes
comparison
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- In terms of skill, she's miles ahead of her competitors.
- Their opinions are miles apart on this issue.
- He is miles away in thought.
Learner examples
- She is miles ahead in the race.
- Our ideas are miles apart.
- He was miles away and did not hear me.
Grammar
Expressions
a mile a minute
1/ə mˈaɪl ə mˈɪnɪt/
idiom
informal
Very fast speed or rate
To do something very fast or talk very quickly.
Examples
- She talks a mile a minute when she's excited.
- The car was going a mile a minute down the highway.
miss by a mile
1/mˈɪs bˈaɪ ə mˈaɪl/
idiom
informal
Be far from correct or successful
To be very wrong or far from the target.
Examples
- I guessed the answer but missed by a mile.
- His shot missed the goal by a mile.
stand out a mile
1/stˈænd ˈaʊt ə mˈaɪl/
idiom
informal
Be very obvious or noticeable
To be easy to see or notice because it is very clear.
Examples
- Her talent stands out a mile.
- It stood out a mile that he was lying.
within miles of
1/wɪðˈɪn mˈaɪlz əv/
fixed phrase
Close in distance to something
Not far from a place; within a few miles of it.
Examples
- There isn’t a gas station within miles of here.
- He lives within miles of the beach.
go the extra mile
1/ɡˈoʊ ðə ˈɛkstɹə mˈaɪl/
idiom
Make more effort than required
To do more than what is needed or expected to help or achieve something.
Examples
- Our teacher always goes the extra mile to help us learn.
- Our team is willing to go the extra mile for our clients.
- If you go the extra mile for customers, they will come back.
- She always goes the extra mile to make her lessons interesting.