What does faraway mean?
Faraway is an adjective meaning distant — whether in physical space or in time. It most often appears before a noun, as in 'faraway places' or 'a faraway land', lending a slightly romantic or wistful tone to descriptions of remote destinations, long-lost eras, or unreachable horizons. The word has a second, more figurative sense: a 'faraway look' describes eyes or a gaze that suggest the person's mind has drifted somewhere else entirely, absorbed in memory or daydream. This dreamy connotation makes the word a favorite in literature and reflective writing. Careful writers distinguish 'faraway', the one-word adjective used attributively, from 'far away', the two-word adverbial phrase used after a verb. Formed transparently from the ancient English pair 'far' and 'away', it is a compact example of how English fuses familiar elements into single descriptive terms. Both evocative and practical, it remains common in travel writing, fiction, and everyday speech alike.
Distant in space or time; remote.
"Letters arrived only occasionally from that faraway outpost."
Almost always used attributively, before the noun.
(Of an expression, especially the eyes) dreamy or abstracted, indicating that one's thoughts are elsewhere.
"He answered her question with a faraway smile, his mind clearly elsewhere."
Whether you write it as one word or two can change its job entirely: 'faraway' names a place, but 'far away' tells you where to find it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of faraway
Faraway is formed by compounding two ancient English words: 'far', from Old English 'feorr' (distant), and 'away', from Old English 'onweg'/'aweg' (on one's way, hence gone). The compound arose in early modern English as a natural combination of these native elements rather than a borrowing. Its components share deep Germanic roots: 'feorr' is related to the verb 'faran' ('to journey'), which also gave English words such as 'fare' and 'foray'.
How faraway is actually used
Standard in both British and American English. The word carries a slightly poetic or wistful connotation, especially in its second sense describing a dreamy expression, which is largely literary rather than conversational. It is almost always attributive, appearing before the noun it modifies.
Easily confused with faraway
'Faraway' is an adjective written as one word and placed before a noun (a faraway place), while 'far away' is an adverbial phrase written as two words and follows the verb (the place is far away).