distant

adjective

ˈdi-stənt How to pronounce distant (audio)
Definition of distantnext
1
as in away
not close in time or space the distant towers were barely visible in the fog

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others was distant and distracted all throughout the interview

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in different
being not of the same kind a marriage between two people from very distant cultures

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distant In the not-so-distant future, a grieving couple who have lost their son takes a humanoid into their lives with the same face and voice as their late child. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 July 2026 Besides being interesting on their own, some of these distant cometlike bodies have odd orbits that hint at the existence of another major planet out there in the inky black. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026 Texas was the second choice, with 57 votes, and Mississippi a distant third with six. — ABC News, 24 July 2026 Injury updates The Marlins might be closing in on getting up to three key reinforcements back in the not-so-distant future. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for distant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distant
  1. away
  2. detached
  3. different
  4. far
  5. cold
  6. diverse
  7. deep
  8. remote
Adjective
  • Ruaridh Aldington joins season two of Starfleet Academy as a series regular playing Keats, a young alien our cadets encounter on an away mission who possesses a mysterious backstory.
    — Rick Ellis, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • City’s new away kit will also be launched in Hong Kong later this week.
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of away
Adjective
  • New homes are less likely to compete on price with existing homes in dense urban markets like New York City, where scarce land means new construction is dominated by condominium projects rather than detached homes.
    — Mike Winters, CNBC, 23 July 2026
  • Apartments offer better square-meter-to-euro value than across the river, and detached homes are available here at a lower price point.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 July 2026
Definition of detached
Adjective
  • After airing a 19th season that limped its way to the finish line, Bravo probably should have tried something a little different for the next one.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 31 July 2026
  • In the comics, Battleworld stitched together all the different worlds and plopped every hero and their variant into one new universe.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 31 July 2026
Definition of different
Adjective
  • In Kelowna, wine begins with the water—grapes can’t grow this far north without the lake, which moderates the valley’s climate year-round.
    — Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2026
  • The facility’s long-term plan prevents environmental accumulation in the far north.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 29 July 2026
Definition of far
Adjective
  • It was instead caused by cold air plummeting to the ground from the upper levels of a passing thunderstorm, experts says.
    — Mark Price July 30, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026
  • For lunch, head outside to The Pocket pool bar and lounge for fish tacos and a cold beer.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • To make this dream a reality, Love partnered with other diverse DJs, like Melika Rahimi, a Persian woman whose DJ name is Melak, and Katie Espino, a Dominican woman who goes by Localuva.
    — Zuri Primos July 27, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • Her company transforms healthcare from episodic to continuous, leveraging diverse data to understand the whole person proactively.
    — Billee Howard, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of diverse
Adjective
  • The pair ended practice with a touchdown off a deep toss from Young to McMillan with Jackson, again, in coverage.
    — Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
  • In an era dominated by physical defenders, Baresi distinguished himself through his reading of the game, redefining the sweeper role by combining defensive authority with the ability to launch attacks from deep.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Definition of deep
Adjective
  • Wi-Fi was quite fast—backed by Starlink—and able to support Zoom calls and remote work.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
  • But those tools were never designed to solve the problem of hundreds of billions of tonnes of carbon stored beneath remote boreal forests stretching across northern Canada.
    — Phil De Luna, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of remote

Browse Nearby Words

distancing
distant
distantly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Distant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distant. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on distant

Nglish: Translation of distant for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All