What does far mean?
Far means at, to, or from a great distance — whether across space, through time, or along a scale of degree. It works both as an adverb (we traveled far) and as an adjective (the far shore). One quirk defines its use: bare far rarely appears in simple affirmative statements, which prefer a long way; instead it thrives in questions and negatives (How far? Not far.) and in intensifying phrases such as far better, far worse, and by far the largest. Idioms built on it are among English's most familiar — so far, so good; few and far between; a far cry from. Its comparative forms carry a subtle split: farther traditionally marks physical distance, while further covers figurative extent or additional progress. Descended from Old English feorr and ultimately from an ancient root meaning to go through or travel, far belongs to a family of movement words including fare, ferry, and ford. It remains an essential tool for expressing distance, ambition, and degree.
At, to, or from a great distance, extent, or degree.
"They drove as far as the coast before stopping for the night."
In affirmative statements, English typically prefers 'a long way' to bare 'far'; far appears freely in questions, negatives, and comparisons.
Distant or remote in space or time; more remote of two alternatives (the far side, the far end).
"She crossed to the far end of the hall to greet them."
"Far" has been traveling with English since before English existed — it descends from the same ancient root that gave us "fare," "ferry," and "ford," making it one of language's oldest words about distance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of far
Far comes from Old English feorr, meaning distant, which descended from Proto-Germanic *ferraz, the source of German fern and Dutch ver. The Germanic word ultimately traces back to the Indo-European root *per-, meaning to lead or pass over, which also produced English fare, ferry, and ford — a family of words tied to journeys and crossings. This makes far not only ancient but etymologically bound up with the very idea of travel.
Related word forms
How far is actually used
Far is primarily an adverb but also functions as an adjective (the far side of the room). In questions and negatives it stands alone (How far is it?), while affirmative statements usually prefer phrases like a long way or a long distance instead of bare far. Its comparatives are farther/farthest (often preferred for physical distance) and further/furthest (preferred for degree or extent), though the two are frequently used interchangeably outside formal writing.
Easily confused with far
Fur refers to the soft hair covering an animal (or a garment made of it), whereas far describes great distance.