distance

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Measure of interval

Nouns

1. distance, remoteness, farness, long way; offing, background; perspective, parallax; reach, span, stride; measurement; separation, disjunction; interstellar or intergalactic space. Informal, a far piece, a ways.

See length, breadth.

2. (distant place) offing; outpost, outskirt; horizon; aphelion; foreign parts, ultima Thule, ne plus ultra, ends of the earth, world's end, antipodes, interstellar space; long haul or pull; long range, giant's stride; middle of nowhere, back of beyond. Informal, godforsaken place, boondocks.

Verbs — be distant; extend, reach, spread, or stretch to; range; remain at a distance, keep one's distance, distance oneself, stand off; keep or stand away or out of the way of, keep off, stand aloof, sit back, steer or stand clear of. See discourtesy.

Adjectives — distant, remote; telescopic; far off, faraway; wide of; stretching to; yon[der]; ulterior, transmarine, overseas, transpontine, transatlantic, transpacific, transalpine; tramontane, ultramontane, ultramundane; hyperborean, antipodean; inaccessible, out of the way, unapproachable; unapproached, incontiguous. Informal, god-forsaken.

Adverbs — far off, far away, afar, off, away, a long way off; wide or clear of; out-of-the-way, far-out, out of reach; abroad, overseas, yonder, farther, further, beyond; far and wide, over the hills and far away; from pole to pole, to the ends of the earth, all over, out of this world; aside, out of hearing; nobody knows where; wide of the mark, a far cry from, not nearly, [wide] apart, [wide] asunder; at arm's length. Slang, to hell and gone, back of beyond.

Phrases — a miss is as good as a mile; Thursday's child has far to go; distance lends enchantment to the view.

Quotations — The distance is nothing. It's only the first step that's important (Marquise du Deffand), In what distant deeps or skies burnt the fire of thine eyes (William Blake), All places are distant from heaven alike (Robert Burton).

Antonyms, see nearness.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [A degree or quantity of space]

Syn. interval, gap, reach, span, range, remoteness, mileage, yardage, footage; see also expanse , extent , length 1 , 2 .

2. [A place or places far away]

Syn. background, horizon, as far as the eye can see, sky, heavens, outer space, the blue, far lands, outpost, outskirts, foreign countries, New worlds, other worlds, strange places, distant terrain, foreign terrain, unknown terrain, objective, the country, beyond the horizon, ends of the earth, antipodes, jumping-off place, the beyond, the back of beyond, the sticks*. see also country 1 .

Ant. neighborhood*, surroundings, neighbors.

3. [A measure of space]

Syn. mile, statute mile, English mile, rod, yard, foot, inch, kilometer, meter, centimeter, millimeter, micRometer, league, fathom, ell, span, hand, cubit, furlong, block, way, ways*, a stone's throw*, as the crow flies*, down the road a piece*, spitting distance*, whoop and a holler*, long haul*; see also inch 1 , measure 1 , mile .

4. [Aloofness]

Syn. remoteness, coolness, reserve, restraint; see indifference 1 , reserve 2 .

• go the distance ,

Syn. finish, bring to an end, see through; see complete 1 .

• keep at a distance,

Syn. ignore, reject, shun, keep at arm's length; see avoid .

• keep one's distance ,

Syn. remain aloof, keep out of the way, distance oneself, shun; see avoid .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. space span, length, remoteness, range, area, expanse, interval, stretch, sweep, spread, width, remove, horizon, far reaches, extent.

2. coldness reserve, aloofness, unfriendliness, stiffness.

ANT.: 2. warmth, closeness, intimacy

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. An extent, measured or unmeasured, of linear space: length, space, stretch. Informal: piece, way. See BIG. 2. The fact or condition of being far removed or apart: farness, remoteness. See BIG, NEAR. 3. A wide and open area, as of land, sky, or water: expanse, expansion, extent, reach, space, spread, stretch, sweep. See PLACE. 4. Degree of separation, especially in time: remove. See NEAR. 5. Dissociation from one's surroundings or worldly affairs: aloofness, detachment, remoteness. See ATTITUDE, CONCERN, INCLUDE, NEAR.