distant
Americanadjective
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far off or apart in space; not near at hand; remote or removed (often followed byfrom ).
a distant place; a town three miles distant from here.
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apart or far off in time.
distant centuries past.
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remote or far apart in any respect.
a distant relative.
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reserved or aloof; not familiar or cordial.
a distant greeting.
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arriving from or going to a distance, as a communication, journey, etc..
I have here a distant letter from Japan.
adjective
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far away or apart in space or time
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(postpositive) separated in space or time by a specified distance
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apart in relevance, association, or relationship
a distant cousin
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coming from or going to a faraway place
a distant journey
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remote in manner; aloof
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abstracted; absent
a distant look
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of distant
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English dista(u)nt, from Anglo-French, from Latin distant-, stem of distāns “standing apart,” present participle of distāre “to stand apart,” from di- di- 2 + stāre “to stand”; see also stand
Explanation
Distant describes something that's far away, like another planet, a ship far out at sea, or the cousin who never calls or shows up for family events. Time, like miles, can make something distant. People get excited during awards season, but most have at best a distant recollection of who won Oscars two years ago — meaning the memory is remote. If you've ever been accused of seeming distant, how were you acting at the time? Distracted, not showing much interest or patience, bored? Too many experiences like that and once-close friends will become distant, meaning they'll drift apart.
Vocabulary lists containing distant
In the Mood? 100 Words to Describe Emotions
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Remote Learning: Synonyms for "Far"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Günter is attracted to Freud’s science of the mind because he believes that it alleviates unhappiness, but he is learning that the analyst can be distant and dictatorial, like some all-knowing but uncaring deity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026
Marissa Roy was on her way to a runoff that would exclude the incumbent city attorney, Hydee Feldstein Soto, who was a distant third in the early returns.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
I lived in the basement of a distant aunt I’d never met, and the commute from Jamaica, Queens, was over an hour.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
"Roman will be especially powerful because it will observe hundreds of millions of distant stars, letting scientists compare faraway planet populations to those found nearby," said Wilson.
From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 2026
I promise myself I will hold on to my language, no matter how far away we go, how many seas we cross, how distant I am from the almond-scented streets of this land.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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.
