afield

adverb or adjective

ə-ˈfēld 

1

: to, in, or on the field

was weak at bat but strong afield

2

: away from home : abroad

3

: out of the way : astray

irrelevant remarks that carried us far afield

Synonyms of afield

• wrong
• astray
• awry

Examples of afield in a Sentence

how did we get so far afield from the subject we intended to discuss?

Recent Examples on the Web

While the city's buzzy tuk-tuks are good for sights further afield, like the Kuang Si Falls, the hotel's free bike rentals make traversing the city a pleasant and satisfying experience. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026

Further afield, a short journey brings you to the grandeur of St Peter’s Basilica or the ancient drama of the Colosseum. —Vicki Power, TheWeek, 31 Mar. 2026

The administration argued the CDC had become too large and sprawling, responsible for too many issues that were far afield from its original mission of infectious diseases control — even though it had been tasked with each of those additional functions by Congress. —Helen Branswell, STAT, 30 Mar. 2026

No shows further afield have yet been announced, but the handful of dates—which wrap with two nights at London’s Brixton Academy—take the band right up to the start of festival season. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English afelde, going back to Old English on felda, on felde, from on on entry 1 + felda, felde, dative of feld field entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for afield

• airfield
• annealed
• appealed
• brownfield
• coalfield
• concealed
• congealed
• cornfield
• downfield
• goldfield
• hayfield
• infield

Kids Definition

afield

adverb

ə-ˈfēld 

1

: to, in, or on the field

2

: away from home

3

: out of a regular, planned, or proper course : astray