Far means at or to a great distance, or to a great degree. As an adverb it modifies verbs and adjectives (far away, far better, far too expensive). As an adjective it describes the more distant of two points (the far end of the room). In the fixed phrase from far and near it is occasionally treated as a noun.
What Does Far Mean?
Far comes from Old English feorr, meaning “far off, distant”, related to Old High German ferro and Gothic fairra. The root is Proto-Germanic *ferr-, possibly linked to Proto-Indo-European *per- (“forward, through”). The word has remained almost unchanged in form for over a thousand years, testifying to its core place in the language.
In modern British English, far appears in three main grammatical roles. First, as an adverb of place or degree: She didn’t walk very far; This approach is far more effective. Second, as an attributive adjective meaning “most distant”: the far side of the lake; the far north. Third, it forms the backbone of dozens of fixed phrases and collocations — so far, by far, far from, as far as, far-fetched — that are essential for fluent English.
Note the comparative and superlative forms: for physical distance use farther / farthest; for abstract or figurative senses (and frequently for distance too in British English) use further / furthest. In practice, British speakers use further for both.
Five Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| Is the station far from here? | A2 | far as adverb asking about physical distance |
| How far have you got with the reading comprehension exercise? | B1 | how far asking about progress through a task |
| The new library is by far the best place to study in the city. | B1 | by far intensifying a superlative |
| Far from being straightforward, the grammar of conditionals requires careful study. | B2 | far from + gerund phrase meaning “not at all” |
| As far as the evidence goes, there is no conclusive link between the two phenomena. | C1 | as far as X goes hedging an academic claim |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| so far | So far, we have covered three chapters. |
| far away | She grew up in a village far away from the capital. |
| by far | This is by far the most common error learners make. |
| far too | The instructions were far too complicated for beginners. |
| far from | The results were far from satisfactory. |
| as far as | As far as I know, the office opens at nine. |
| how far | How far is it to the nearest bus stop? |
| thus far | Thus far, no significant problems have been reported. (formal) |
| far-fetched | The explanation seemed a bit far-fetched to most readers. |
| go too far | Some critics felt that the satire went too far. |
Usage Notes
Key Points for ESL Learners
- Far vs. a long way: In affirmative sentences, a long way is more natural than far on its own. Say It’s a long way from here, not It’s far from here (although the latter is acceptable in formal English). In questions and negatives, far is perfectly natural: Is it far? It isn’t far.
- Farther vs. further: In British English, further is used for both physical distance and figurative meaning. Farther is understood but less common. In American English the distinction is more consistently observed.
- So far with tense: Always use so far with the present perfect in British English: So far I have read fifty pages, not So far I read fifty pages.
- Far as intensifier: Before comparatives and too, far is a strong intensifier: far more interesting, far too difficult, far worse. It is stronger than much and more formal than a lot.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
The school is far from here. (in an affirmative statement about location)
The school is a long way from here. (preferred in everyday British English)
So far I learned a lot of new vocabulary.
So far I have learned a lot of new vocabulary. (present perfect required with so far)
This exercise is very far difficult.
This exercise is far too difficult. (far intensifies comparatives and too, not plain adjectives)