farther
/ˈfɑːðə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɑːrðər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfär-t͟hər/ (ame, mw) · /ˈfɑː.ðər/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɑːr.ðɚ/ (ame, ipa)
farther — adverb
1. toward or at a point that is more removed from a starting place, person, or mome
toward or at a point that is more removed from a starting place, person, or moment — used when comparing how far one thing, person, or time is relative to another, especially when the distance can be imagined in concrete terms.
Mei-Lin threw the ball ten meters farther than anyone else on the team.
comparative + than for distance comparison
The village lay three miles farther down the dusty road.
farther + distance + direction phrase
Could you move your chair a little farther from the heater?
If we look farther ahead in the training schedule, the company's annual conference falls on a school holiday, so the HR team will need to reschedule.
The tired climbers could not walk any farther once the sun went down.
用法筆記
Use 'farther' when you can measure the distance in meters, kilometers, blocks, or similar units. For abstract or metaphorical distance, 'further' is more common (see adverb sense 2).
常見錯誤
2. reaching a state that is more advanced, more complete, or more extreme than what
reaching a state that is more advanced, more complete, or more extreme than what existed before — used when talking about how much something has progressed, deepened, or intensified.
The fraud investigation went farther than the police had originally planned, uncovering a network of shell companies across three countries.
go farther than for exceeding a scope or limit
No company has pushed battery technology farther in the past five years than GreenCell, whose latest prototype doubles the range of electric vehicles.
push farther for advancing beyond a current state
The country has moved farther toward democracy since the new election law took effect.
Dr. Okonkwo's research took him farther into the subject than any previous scholar had gone.
- less
to a smaller degree
用法筆記
For abstract senses of degree and extent, 'further' is the more common choice in both American and British English. Using 'farther' here is grammatically acceptable but less frequent. Reserve 'farther' for physical-distance contexts to sound most natural.
常見錯誤
farther — adjective
- fartherpositive
- fartherercomparative
- fartherestsuperlative
1. describing something that is more distant than another thing in physical space o
describing something that is more distant than another thing in physical space or on a timeline — such as the far end of a room, the opposite side of a lake, or a later point on a schedule.
The farther shore of the lake was hidden in thick morning fog.
farther + noun for physical remoteness
Rosa sat in the farther corner of the room, away from the noisy crowd.
On the farther side of the mountain, a small village sat in the green valley.
The farther end of the garden had the best flowers in the whole yard.
- remoter
more formal; suggests greater isolation
- more distant
the literal alternative phrasing; less compact than 'farther'
用法筆記
When used as an adjective, 'farther' typically appears before a noun describing a physical location (farther shore, farther side, farther end). The superlative form 'farthest' is also common: 'the farthest corner of the yard.'
常見錯誤
2. describing a position, opinion, effect, or quality that goes beyond the usual ra
describing a position, opinion, effect, or quality that goes beyond the usual range — more removed from the center or from what most people would consider normal or expected.
The professor explored the farther implications of the theory in her latest paper.
farther implications for abstract extended consequences
Kwame argued that the farther consequences of the new policy had not been studied.
The documentary examined the farther reaches of the artist's creative imagination.
The senator's views on school choice sit at the farther extreme of the political spectrum, calling for a complete end to public funding for traditional public schools.
- further
the dominant choice for abstract degree; 'farther' is less frequent but grammatically possible
- more extreme
explicitly compares intensity or radicalness
- additional
focuses on 'extra' rather than 'more distant in degree'
- nearer
closer in position or degree
用法筆記
This abstract adjectival use is much less common than the physical-distance sense. Native speakers typically prefer 'further' for degree-related adjectives (further implications, further consequences). Reserve 'farther' here only when deliberately echoing a spatial metaphor.