farther

[ fahr-ther ]
See synonyms for farther on Thesaurus.com
adverb,comparative of far, with farthest as superlative.
  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.

  1. at or to a greater degree or extent: The application of the law was extended farther.

adjective,comparative of far, with farthest as superlative.
  1. more distant or remote than something or some place nearer: the farther side of the mountain.

  2. extending or tending to a greater distance: He made a still farther trip.

  1. Nonstandard. further (defs. 5, 6).

Origin of farther

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ferther; originally variant of further

confusables note For farther

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.

Words that may be confused with farther

  • farther , further (see confusables note at the current entry)

Words Nearby farther

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How to use farther in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for farther

farther

/ (ˈfɑːðə) /


adverb
  1. to or at a greater distance in space or time

  2. in addition

adjective
  1. more distant or remote in space or time

  2. additional

Origin of farther

1
C13: see far, further

usage For farther

Farther, farthest, further, and furthest can all be used to refer to literal distance, but further and furthest are regarded as more correct for figurative senses denoting greater or additional amount, time, etc: further to my letter . Further and furthest are also preferred for figurative distance

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with farther

farther

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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.