farther

1 of 2

adverb

far·ther ˈfär-t͟hər

Synonyms of farther next

: at or to a greater distance or more advanced point

got no farther than the first page

nothing could be farther from the truth

: to a greater degree or extent

see to it that I do not have to act any farther in the matter—

Bernard DeVoto

Farther vs. Further: Usage Guide

Farther and further have been used more or less interchangeably throughout most of their history, but currently they are showing signs of diverging. As adverbs they continue to be used interchangeably whenever spatial, temporal, or metaphorical distance is involved. But where there is no notion of distance, further is used.

our techniques can be further refined

Further is also used as a sentence modifier

further, the workshop participants were scarcely optimistic —

L. B. Mayhew

, but farther is not. A polarizing process appears to be taking place in their adjective use. Farther is taking over the meaning of distance

the farther shore

and further the meaning of addition.

needed no further invitation

farther

2 of 2

adjective

: more distant : remoter

the farther side of town

: further sense 2

clearing his throat preparatory to farther revelations—

Edith Wharton

Example Sentences

Adverb It's farther away than I'd thought. they had traveled farther down the Colorado River than any previous explorers Adjective the farther side of town for farther information on this condition, you should consult your family physician

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

However, if temperatures fall farther than expected the amounts could increase, forecasters added. —

Leigh Morgan, al, 11 Feb. 2023 Tier 2 Pricing, includes lots farther away from the stadium: Car or SUV: $100. —

Sydney Carruth, The Arizona Republic, 9 Feb. 2023 The air and pressure distortions can be a bane to airplane pilots, who sometimes feel their planes gliding along farther than intended during landing. —

Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 8 Feb. 2023 Video footage captured the balloon farther east, over Cameron, Missouri, between 11:56 a.m. and 12:28 p.m. ET. —

Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2023 In American's first-class cabins, seats are wider and recline farther, although the exact increase varies by flight and aircraft layout. —

Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 2 Feb. 2023 What explains the Western change of heart, and its openness to helping Ukraine consolidate its recent advances on the battlefield and press on farther? —

Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jan. 2023 From farther-flung Florida brewers such as Big Storm and Funky Buddha to locally loved favorites like Ivanhoe Park Brewing Co and Ten10 Brewing, samples will be sipped as the science behind this beloved beverage is disseminated. —

Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2023 The objects again were thrown into the conservatory, and one of the rocks went farther, flying into the area of the Conservatory arch and hitting the statue. —

Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2023

Adjective

McNicholas warned that if more states continue to prohibit abortions and force more people to seek care in farther parts of the country, there will be a major health crisis. —

Rachel Scott, ABC News, 28 June 2022 The prettier the flower, the farther from the path. —

Vulture, 10 July 2022 That’s an ocean away from Greenland, and much farther south, Willerslev said. —

Maddie Burakoff, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Dec. 2022 If the storm moves a little farther east, then the rain-snow line will also get closer to the coast. —

Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Jan. 2023 General relativity also is the bedrock of gravitational lensing, which uses the gravity of stars and galaxies as a giant magnifying glass to zoom in on farther cosmic objects. —

Mark Barna, Discover Magazine, 16 Dec. 2022 But certain torches have made much farther voyages. —

Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Dec. 2022 After equalizing for the R1S's larger battery pack, the iX goes almost a mile farther per kilowatt-hour—that's roughly 53 percent better—than the R1S. —

Dave Vanderwerp, Car and Driver, 8 Dec. 2022 Lake, the Republican candidate for governor, showed up on Fox News and other farther-right outlets with increasing regularity as the campaign wore on. —

Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 6 Dec. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'farther.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.