far

—farness, n.

/fahr/, adv., adj., farther or further, farthest or furthest.

adv.

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.

5. as far as. See as¹ (def. 16).

6. by far,

a. by a great deal; very much: too expensive by far.

b. plainly; obviously: This melon is by far the ripest of the lot.

7. far and away, by far; undoubtedly: She is far and away the smartest one in the class.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. far out, Slang.

a. unconventional; offbeat: His sense of humor is far out.

b. radical; extreme: political opinions that are far out.

c. recondite or esoteric: an interest in art that was considered far out.

11. go far,

a. to attain success: With so much talent he should go far.

b. to have a great effect toward; help: The new evidence will go far toward proving the defendant's guilt.

12. 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?

13. so far,

a. up to now: So far, I've had no reply to my request.

b. up to a certain point or extent: We were able to plan only so far because of various factors beyond our control.

14. so far so good, succeeding or managing adequately to this point; doing well thus far: The work is difficult, but so far so good.

15. thus far,

a. up to the present; up to now: We have met no resistance to our plan thus far.

b. to a particular degree, point, or extent: When you get thus far in the experiment, consult with the professor.

adj.

16. being at a great distance; remote in time or place: a far country; the far future.

17. extending to a great distance: the far frontiers of empire.

18. more distant of the two: the far side.

19. a far cry from. See cry (def. 30).

20. few and far between. See few (def. 2).

21. on the far side of. See side (def. 21).

22. the far side. See side (def. 24).

[bef. 900; ME far, fer, OE feorr; c. OHG ferr, ON fjar, Goth fairra; akin to G fern far, L porro forward, further]

Usage. See as, farther.

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