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farther

 - 7 dictionary results

far⋅ther

  [fahr-ther]
Use farther in a Sentence
–adverb, compar. of far with farthest as superl.
1. at or to a greater distance: He went farther down the road.
2. at or to a more advanced point: They are going no farther in their studies.
3. at or to a greater degree or extent: The application of the law was extended farther.
–adjective, compar. of far with farthest as superl.
4. more distant or remote than something or some place nearer: the farther side of the mountain.
5. extending or tending to a greater distance: He made a still farther trip.
6. Nonstandard. further (defs. 5, 6).
Origin:
1300–50; ME ferther; orig. var. of further

Usage note:
Although some usage guides insist that only farther should be used for physical distance (We walked farther than we planned), farther and further have been used interchangeably throughout much of their histories. However, only further is used in the adverbial sense “moreover” (Further, you hurt my feelings) and in the adjectival senses “more extended” (no further comment) and “additional” (Further bulletins came in).
The expression all the farther (or further) in place of as far as occurs chiefly in informal speech: This is all the farther the train goes. See also all.

far

  [fahr] 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

Usage note:
See as, farther.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To farther
far   (fär)   
adv.   far·ther (fär'thər) or fur·ther (fûr'thər), far·thest (fär'thĭst) or fur·thest (fûr'thĭst)

  1. To, from, or at considerable distance: a cat that had strayed far from home.

  2. To or at a specific distance, degree, or position: Just how far are you taking this argument?

  3. To a considerable degree; much: felt far better yesterday; eyes that seemed far too close together.

  4. Not at all; anything but: seems far from content; a test of strength that was far from a failure.

  5. To an advanced point or stage: a brilliant student who will go far.

adj.   farther or further, farthest or furthest

    1. Being at considerable distance; remote: a far country.

    2. Going back a considerable extent in time: the far past.

  2. More distant than another: the far corner.

  3. Extensive or lengthy: a far trek.

  4. Far-seeing and comprehensive in thought or outlook: a commander of far vision.

  5. Marked by political views of the most advanced or extreme nature: the far right; the far left.

  6. Being on the right side of an animal or a vehicle.

  7. Being the animal or vehicle on the right.


[Middle English, from Old English feor; see per1 in Indo-European roots.]
far·ther   (fär'thər)   
adv.   A comparative of far.

  1. To or at a more distant or remote point: ran farther than the others.

  2. To or at a more advanced point or stage: I went no farther that day.

  3. Usage Problem To a greater extent or degree: carried the idea farther.

adj.   A comparative of far.
More distant; remoter: the farther shore.

[Middle English, variant (influenced by far, far) of further; see further.]
Usage Note: Since the Middle English period many writers have used farther and further interchangeably. According to a relatively recent rule, however, farther should be reserved for physical distance and further for nonphysical, metaphorical advancement. Thus 74 percent of the Usage Panel prefers farther in the sentence If you are planning to drive any farther than Ukiah, you'd better carry chains, and 64 percent prefers further in the sentence We won't be able to answer these questions until we are further along in our research. In many cases, however, the distinction is not easy to draw. If we speak of a statement that is far from the truth, for example, we should also allow the use of farther in a sentence such as Nothing could be farther from the truth. But Nothing could be further from the truth is so well established as to seem a fixed expression.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

far 
O.E. feorr "to a great distance, long ago," from P.Gmc. *ferro (cf. O.N. fjarre, Du. ver, Ger. fern), from PIE *per- "through, across, beyond" (cf. Skt. parah "farther, remote, ulterior," Hitt. para "outside of," Gk. pera "across, beyond," L. per "through," O.Ir. ire "farther"). In figurative sense, far-fetched is from 1607; far-sighted is 1641 in figurative sense, 1878 in literal sense (hypermetropic). Far-out began 1954 as jazz slang. Far East "China, Japan, and surrounding regions" is from 1852.

farther 
c.1300, var. of further (q.v.), by 17c. replaced ferrer as comp. of the descendant of O.E. fierr "far" (itself a comp. but no longer felt as one). Vowel change infl. by the root vowel, and confusion with M.E. ferþeren "to assist, promote, advance" (see forth). There is no historical basis for the notion that farther is of physical distance and further of degree or quality.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

farther

see can't see beyond (farther than) the end of one's nose.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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