Distant — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈdi-stənt/ dis·tant

Meaning & Definition of Distant

Distant (adjective)

  1. separated in space, away
  2. situated at a great distance, far-off
  3. having a great amount of separation between each other, separated by a great distance from each other, far apart

Distant (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not close in time or space

    "the distant towers were barely visible in the fog"

    similar: away, deep, far, faraway, far-flung, far-off, remote, removed
    related: apart, devious, isolated, lonesome, nowhere, obscure, odd, outlying, out-of-the-way, retired, secluded, secret, sequestered
    opposite: close, near, nearby, nigh
    near: adjacent, adjoining, contiguous

  2. having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others

    "was distant and distracted all throughout the interview"

    similar: aloof, antisocial, asocial, buttoned-up, cold, cold-eyed, cool, detached, dry, frosty, offish, remote, standoff, standoffish, unbending, unclubbable, unsociable
    related: indrawn, introverted, nongregarious, recessive, reclusive, reserved, unsocial, withdrawn, misanthropic, apathetic, hard, indifferent, unconcerned, clinical, dispassionate, impersonal, professional, disinterested, incurious, uninterested, reticent, silent, taciturn, uncommunicative, diffident, shy, timid, cliquey, cliquish, clubbish
    opposite: cordial, friendly, sociable, social, warm
    near: boon, clubbable, clubby, companionable, convivial, extroverted, gregarious, outgoing, communicative, expansive, garrulous, talkative, affable, folksy, genial, gracious, hospitable, agreeable, amiable, congenial, kindly, neighborly

  3. being not of the same kind

    "a marriage between two people from very distant cultures"

    similar: different, disparate, dissimilar, distinct, distinctive, distinguishable, diverse, nonidentical, other, unalike, unlike
    related: divers, miscellaneous, mixed, several, sundry, variant, varied, various, differentiable, discriminable, alternate, alternative, individual, particular, peculiar, single, disproportionate, divergent, unequal
    opposite: alike, identical, indistinguishable, kin, kindred, like, parallel, same, similar
    near: equal, selfsame, equivalent, tantamount, akin, analogous, comparable, homological, homologous, related, homogeneous, homogenous, uniform

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Distant

The most common words with a similar meaning to Distant:

away, deep, far, faraway, far-flung, far-off, remote, removed, aloof, antisocial, asocial, buttoned-up, cold, cold-eyed, cool, detached, dry, frosty, offish, standoff, standoffish, unbending, unclubbable, unsociable, different, disparate, dissimilar, distinct, distinctive, distinguishable, diverse, nonidentical, other, unalike, unlike

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Distant

Words with the opposite meaning of Distant:

close, near, nearby, nigh, cordial, friendly, sociable, social, warm, alike, identical, indistinguishable, kin, kindred, like, parallel, same, similar

Related Words for Distant

apart, devious, isolated, lonesome, nowhere, obscure, odd, outlying, out-of-the-way, retired, secluded, secret, sequestered, indrawn, introverted, nongregarious, recessive, reclusive, reserved, unsocial, withdrawn, misanthropic, apathetic, hard, indifferent, unconcerned, clinical, dispassionate, impersonal, professional

Near Antonyms of Distant

adjacent, adjoining, contiguous, boon, clubbable, clubby, companionable, convivial, extroverted, gregarious, outgoing, communicative, expansive, garrulous, talkative, affable, folksy, genial, gracious, hospitable, agreeable, amiable, congenial, kindly, neighborly, equal, selfsame, equivalent, tantamount, akin

Word Forms of Distant

Derived words: distantly (adverb), distantness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Distant

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin distant-, distans, present participle of distare to stand apart, be distant, from dis- + stare to stand stand

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Distant

Words & Phrases Containing Distant

distant look in someone's eye, in the not too distant future, the dim and distant past

Frequently Asked Questions about Distant

What does "Distant" mean?

"Distant" means separated in space, away. As an adjective, it is defined as: separated in space, away. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Distant"?

Other words for "Distant" include away, deep, far, faraway, far-flung, far-off, remote and removed. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Distant" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Distant"?

There are 97 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Distant". Common alternatives include away, deep, far, faraway, far-flung, far-off, remote, removed, aloof and antisocial.

What is the opposite of "Distant"?

Antonyms of "Distant" include close, near, nearby, nigh, cordial, friendly, sociable and social. Near antonyms include adjacent, adjoining, contiguous and boon.

How do you use "Distant" in a sentence?

Examples of "Distant" in a sentence: "the distant towers were barely visible in the fog"; "was distant and distracted all throughout the interview"; "a marriage between two people from very distant cultures".

Is "Distant" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Distant" is an adjective.

Is "Distant" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Distant" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Distant"?

"Distant" is pronounced /ˈdi-stənt/ and divided into syllables as dis·tant.