far-away

IPA/fˈɑːɹɐwˈeɪ/
IPA/fˈɑːɹɹɐwˈeɪ/

far-away — adjective

1. located, happening, or coming from a place that is a long way from where you are

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

located, happening, or coming from a place that is a long way from where you are — used before a noun to describe distant places, sounds, or expressions

Example

The Watanabe children visited their grandmother in a far-away village by the sea.

far-away + noun (place): far-away village

Beatrix dreamed of sailing to far-away lands where the trees were full of colourful birds.

far-away + noun (destination): far-away lands

Synonyms
  • distant

    more formal and neutral; can be used both before a noun and after a linking verb

  • remote

    emphasizes isolation and inaccessibility rather than just distance

  • far-off

    very similar in meaning and register; slightly less common than far-away

Antonyms
  • nearby

    emphasizes short distance; also placed before a noun

  • close

    can be used before a noun or after a linking verb

Grammar Patterns

far-away + noun

Usage Note

Far-away is always placed before a noun, not after a linking verb. The nouns it modifies are typically places (village, country, land), sounds (bell, voice, siren), or a person’s distant expression (look, gaze). Unlike far, which can feel dated when used alone before a noun (“a far country”), far-away sounds natural in modern English before the noun.

Common Mistakes

The village was far-away from the city.
The village was far away from the city.
As a predicate adjective after be or seem, use the two-word form far away, not the hyphenated far-away.

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Distant is the closest synonym and works in most of the same contexts (a distant village, a distant sound), but it is more formal and can also be used after a linking verb (the village was distant). Remote emphasizes isolation and difficulty of access — a remote mountain cabin is hard to reach, not just far away. Far-off is very similar in meaning and register to far-away (a far-off land), but far-off is slightly less common and can also be used about time (far-off days). Far-away itself is the most natural choice for everyday description of places, sounds, or looks that suggest distance.

distant ↗remote ↗far-off ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Far-away is formed by combining the adverb far (from Old English feor, meaning ‘at a great distance’) with the adverb away (from Old English aweg, ‘from this place’). The two words began appearing together in the 16th century, and the hyphenated form far-away became established in the 19th century as a fixed adjective-like phrase used before nouns.