farther
Americanadverb
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at or to a greater distance.
He went farther down the road.
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at or to a more advanced point.
They are going no farther in their studies.
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at or to a greater degree or extent.
The application of the law was extended farther.
adjective
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more distant or remote than something or some place nearer.
the farther side of the mountain.
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extending or tending to a greater distance.
He made a still farther trip.
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Nonstandard. further.
adverb
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to or at a greater distance in space or time
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in addition
adjective
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more distant or remote in space or time
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additional
Usage
What’s the difference between farther and further? Farther most commonly means at or to a greater distance, especially a literal distance, as in a few steps farther or two miles farther or We’re moving even farther away. Further can mean the same thing as farther but commonly means to a greater figurative distance, as in Nothing could be further from the truth, or to a greater extent, as in Let’s discuss this further. The traditional distinction is that farther is used for literal distances and that further should be used for figurative distances or metaphorical extents, though in everyday communication, they are often used interchangeably, with further often being used for literal distances and farther being used to mean at a more advanced point or to a great extent.However, further is used in a few ways that farther is not. Further can be used as a verb meaning to advance something, such as an agenda or cause, as in This will help to further our cause. As an adjective, further can mean more extended, as in further delays, or additional, as in We will hold further meetings. It can also be used in the beginning of a sentence or clause to mean the same thing as furthermore, in addition, or moreover, as in I don’t like ice cream. Further, I don’t like pistachios. So why would you buy me pistachio ice cream? You can remember that farther is typically used for literal distance by remembering that it’s the comparative form of the adjective far, with the superlative form being farthest.Here’s an example of farther and further used correctly in the same sentence.Example: I have to drive farther than usual for work today—I’ll explain further when I get home.Want to learn more? Go the distance by reading the full breakdown of the difference between farther and further.
Commonly Confused
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.
Etymology
Origin of farther
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ferther; originally variant of further
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Israel separately said it intercepted over 50 Iranian drones, an easier feat since it is farther away from Iran and takes much longer for drones to get there.
Treated seriously or not, the story of the Fox sisters and the spirits spread farther and faster due to the invention of the telegraph.
From Literature
The Devil’s Slide area was for many decades an infamous stretch of Highway 1 until officials rerouted the roadway farther inland with a tunnel, converting the old road into a popular paved trail.
From Los Angeles Times
Even better, behind the beach were marshes filled with long, tasty grass, and set farther back were bushes and bushes of delicious wild berries.
From Literature
A little farther along, just as Rowdy and I rounded a bend in the road, I stopped and stared in wonderment at the sight directly ahead.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
