Far
/fɑːr/
Definitions
3 meaningsAt or to a great distance.
/fɑːr/
At, to, or by a great distance in space or time.
It's far to walk.
💡 Simply: Think of how long it takes to get to your grandma's house. If it takes a long time, it's far! Like, "The park is far away, so we have to walk a lot."
👶 For kids: When something is a long way away, it's far!
More Examples
How far is the grocery store from here?
She lives far from me.
How It's Used
"The restaurant is far from here."
"How far is it to the airport?"
Distant or remote.
/fɑːr/
Remote or distant.
The far reaches of the galaxy are unexplored.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, you might say that something is 'far' in the past, meaning it happened a long time ago. Like, "I have a far memory of going to the beach when I was a little kid."
👶 For kids: When something happened a long time ago, you can say it's far away in time!
More Examples
She had a far look in her eyes, lost in thought.
It felt like a far-off dream now.
How It's Used
"He had a far memory of his childhood."
To travel or go (archaic).
/fɑːr/
To go or travel.
The knight farred forth upon his quest. (Archaic usage)
💡 Simply: In very old stories, someone might have 'farred' to a new place. It just means they traveled.
👶 For kids: If someone went to a faraway land, in old stories, they might have 'farred' there.
More Examples
They farred through the wilderness.
How It's Used
"The hero farred to a distant land."
Idioms & expressions
so far
Until now.
"So far, the project is on schedule."
as far as
To the extent that.
"As far as I know, he's not coming."
far and wide
Over a large area; everywhere.
"The news spread far and wide."
From Old English *feorr* and *fēorr* (adverb and adjective), from Proto-Germanic *ferrą*, from Proto-Indo-European *per-* (meaning "through, across").
The word 'far' has been used since Old English times to express distance.
Memory tip
Imagine stretching your arms as wide as possible – that's how far something can be.
Word Origin
"through, across"