far / fɑr / Show Spelled Pronunciation [ fahr ] Show IPA adverb, adjective, far⋅ther or fur⋅ther, far⋅thest or fur⋅thest. –adverb 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.
–adjective 5. being at a great distance; remote in time or place: a far country; the far future.
6. extending to a great distance: the far frontiers of empire.
7. more distant of the two: the far side.
—Idioms 8. a far cry from. cry ( def. 30)
9. as far as. as 1 ( def. 20)
10. 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.
11. far and away, by far; undoubtedly: She is far and away the smartest one in the class.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. few and far between. few ( def. 5)
16. 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.
17. 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?
18. on the far side of. side ( def. 21)
19. 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.
20. so far so good, succeeding or managing adequately to this point; doing well thus far: The work is difficult, but so far so good.
21. the far side. side ( def. 24)
22. 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.
Origin: bef. 900; ME
far, fer, OE
feorr; c. OHG
ferr, ON
fjar, Goth
fairra; akin to G
fern far, L
porrō forward, further
Related forms: farness, noun
Idioms & Phrases
far out
Unusual or eccentric; very advanced. for example, Painting blindfolded, that's far out , or Her child-rearing theories are far out .
An interjection meaning "great" or "cool," as in All he could say when he won the lottery was "Far out!" Originally a slang term for daringly creative jazz, this expression has been applied to other art forms and undertakings. [Colloquial; mid-1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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[fahr-out] 
