distant Hear it!

distant Definition

dis·tant (dis′tənt)

adjective

  1. having a gap or space between; separated
  2. widely separated; far apart or far away in space or time
  3. at a measured interval; away a town 100 miles distant
  4. far apart in relationship; remote a distant cousin
  5. cool in manner; aloof; reserved
  6. from or at a distance a distant sound
  7. faraway or dreamy a distant look

Etymology: ME distaunt < L distans: see distance

distant Related Forms

dis′·tantly adverb

distant Synonyms

distant

modif.

  1. Removed in space from the speaker

    far, far-off, far back, remote, afar, abroad, not at home, faraway, outlying, yonder, backwoods, removed, abstracted, inaccessible, unapproachable, indirect, indistinct, out of the way, beyond the horizon, wide of, at arm's length, stretching to, Godforsaken, out of range, out of reach, telescopic, out of earshot, out of sight, in the background, in the distance; see also remote 1.

    Antonyms near*, adjacent*, next. *

  2. Separated by space

    separate, wide apart, farther, further, far away, at a distance, abroad, scattered, far-flung, dispersed, diffuse, different, sparse, sparely sown, transatlantic, transpacific, transmarine, ultramarine, ultramontane, antipodal, excentric, asunder; see also separated.

    Antonyms close*, packed*, jammed. *

  3. Aloof in manner

    aloof, cool, withdrawn, cold; see aloof, indifferent 1, reserved 3. See syn. study at far.

distant Usage Examples

Preposition: about

mile: It lies S.S.W. from Keswick, distant about four miles.

Preposition: from

parish: This person may be geographically distant from the parish, but their heart will be there.

Modifying Another Word

  • geographically: Typically, leased lines are used by businesses to connect geographically distant offices, or simply to provide very high-speed dedicated Internet access.
  • impossibly: He could have added an impossibly distant future, in so far as Gustav Stresemann prioritized relations with the West.
  • too: In the not too distant future the scheme will also have lots more to offer.
  • far: The Story: In a far distant future, a would-be master race seeks to dominate the galaxy.
  • physically: Remote Office Telework A location physically distant from the main office, where one or more workers work.
  • rather: Also the relationship between the two cats was still a rather distant one.

Modifies a noun

  • cousin: Maybe we can link you to unknown or distant cousins.
  • galaxy: Distant galaxies are moving away from each other, they're accelerating.
  • metastasis: With the proof of local infiltration of a neighboring organ or in the presence of distant metastasis, palliative therapy can be started.
  • relative: I recently received a letter from a distant relative in Kansas.
  • horizon: On the distant horizon the erupting volcano was barely visible to us.
  • past: HK's question is, how does the distant past reach down to our own lives today?

Used with adjective complement

  • seem: A number of people noted that the ' diocese ' seems distant.
  • remain: The prospects for an EU nuclear ' deterrent ' force remain far distant if not inconceivable.
  • appear: With all his superhuman qualities and achievements, Sri Krishna never appeared distant to any of his fellow human beings.
  • feel: He sat down on the bed, and I sat next to him, feeling distant from my own body.
  • grow: Left by her own mother as a child, Mia has grown more distant from her father as she approaches adulthood.
  • become: The old woman sitting before them became suddenly distant.