distant
/ˈdɪstənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdɪstənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdi-stənt/ (ame, mw)
distant — adjective
- distantpositive
- more distantcomparative
- most distantsuperlative
1. located a long way from where you are, often beyond what you can see clearly or
located a long way from where you are, often beyond what you can see clearly or reach easily
Sumin could see the distant mountains from her bedroom window.
distant + noun for far-away places
Eitan heard a distant train whistle as he walked home through the park.
The distant lights of the city guided Saira through the dark fields.
Soraya's hometown is too distant for a weekend trip from here.
Wren pointed at a distant island that was barely visible through the morning mist.
2. related to you through family but not by a close tie such as being a parent, chi
related to you through family but not by a close tie such as being a parent, child, or sibling
Andrés received a letter from a distant cousin in Argentina he had never met.
distant cousin — standard term for not closely related family
Roya invited several distant relatives to the family reunion last summer.
Iker discovered that his new classmate was a distant relation on his father's side.
Amelia learned about a distant aunt who had been a famous painter in the 1950s.
Apinya stayed with a distant family member while visiting the capital city.
- remote
slightly more formal; less common in everyday conversation about family
文法句型
distant + family noun
用法筆記
This sense of 'distant' is almost always used before a family noun such as 'relative', 'cousin', 'relation', 'aunt', 'uncle', or 'family member'. It is rarely used predicatively — for example, we say 'a distant cousin' but not 'the cousin is distant'.
常見錯誤
3. used to describe a moment that sits far from the present, whether long before no
used to describe a moment that sits far from the present, whether long before now or long after now
Brandon often thinks about the distant past and how things were different then.
the distant past — standard phrase
Yael dreams of a distant future where people live in cities on the Moon.
Sumin's grandmother has only a distant memory of the house where she grew up.
Eitan studied ruins from a distant time when the city was first built by settlers.
Saira hopes that in the distant future her grandchildren will see a cleaner planet.
文法句型
the distant + time noun
用法筆記
Typically appears before time nouns such as 'past', 'future', 'age', 'era', or 'time'. When referring to the past, 'distant' is more common with 'past' or 'memory' than with specific date references.
常見錯誤
4. only used in negative phrases such as 'not too distant' to mean fairly soon in t
only used in negative phrases such as 'not too distant' to mean fairly soon in time
Soraya plans to buy her first house in the not too distant future.
in the not too distant future — fixed phrase meaning fairly soon
Wren said the company would launch the new product in the not too distant future.
Andrés believes peace talks will resume in the not too distant future.
Roya expects warmer weather across the whole country in the not too distant future.
- far-off
the meaning of 'distant' in its temporal sense without negation
文法句型
not too distant
用法筆記
This sense only occurs in the negated pattern 'not too distant', almost always in the set phrase 'in the not too distant future'. Outside this phrase, 'distant' by itself means the opposite — far in the future — so learners should not drop the negation.
常見錯誤
5. showing little emotion and behaving in a cold, unfriendly way that keeps others
showing little emotion and behaving in a cold, unfriendly way that keeps others from feeling close to you
Iker seemed distant at the party and barely spoke to anyone all evening.
seemed distant — predicative use with link verb
Amelia's distant expression made it hard for the new students to approach her.
Apinya grew distant after her best friend moved to another country for work.
Brandon's distant attitude towards the project team hurt everyone's motivation.
Yael appeared cold and distant during the meeting, avoiding eye contact with everyone.
文法句型
distant + look/manner/attitude
seem/grow/become distant
常見錯誤
6. very different from something else in quality, nature, or character, so that the
very different from something else in quality, nature, or character, so that there is little connection between them
Sumin's political views are distant from those of her parents.
distant from — followed by object of comparison
Eitan found that his new job was distant from anything he had studied at university.
The traditions of the small village felt distant from the busy city life Saira knew.
Soraya felt that modern art seemed distant from the classic paintings she had always loved.
- distinct
less strong than 'distant'; suggests clear but not necessarily large differences
- dissimilar
more formal, directly states lack of similarity without spatial metaphor
- removed
suggests a mental or cultural gap rather than a concrete difference
文法句型
distant from + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is almost always followed by 'from' — 'X is distant from Y'. It is more formal than 'very different from' and emphasizes a lack of connection rather than just contrast.