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distant
/ˈdɪstənt/
far away in space or time
The distant mountains looked majestic under the moonlight.
The mountains far away appeared beautiful at night.
general
far away in space or time
She lives in a distant city and visits rarely.
She resides in a faraway city and comes to visit infrequently.
The distant past holds many mysteries.
The far-off past contains many unknowns.
Often used to describe physical or temporal separation.
figurative
emotionally or socially remote; aloof
His distant attitude made it hard to connect with him.
His emotionally detached behavior made it difficult to relate to him.
Used to describe a lack of emotional closeness or engagement.
Collocations
distant relativea relative who is not closely connecteddistant futurea time far in the futuredistant pasta time long ago
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Avoid redundancy
Do not use 'distant' with 'far' (e.g., 'far distant') as it is redundant.
Gold Rule
Context matters
Use 'distant' for both physical and emotional separation, but clarify with context.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'distaunt,' from Old French 'distant,' from Latin 'distans,' present participle of 'distare' (to stand apart).
Usage Notes
Can describe physical distance, time, or emotional detachment. Avoid using with 'far' unless for emphasis.
Word Breakdown
dis-
apart
prefix-tant
present participle suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary