in the distance

in the distance — idiom

1. at a place far from you that you can still just about see or hear.

1.idiomA2
Definition

at a place far from you that you can still just about see or hear.

Example

Yuna pointed at the snowy mountains rising in the distance behind the village.

see something + in the distance

Somewhere in the distance, a dog began to bark as the sun went down.

fronted: 'in the distance' opening the clause

Common collocations
  • far in the distance
  • somewhere in the distance
  • fade into the distance
Synonyms
  • far off

    more informal; can stand alone as an adjective (a far-off land)

  • far away

    plainer everyday phrasing; can describe both place and time

Antonyms
  • close up

    viewing something from very near

  • nearby

    a short distance away rather than far

Grammar Patterns

see/hear something + in the distance

Usage Note

Typically follows a verb of seeing or hearing (see, watch, hear, spot), describing something on the far edge of what the senses can reach. Often placed at the very start or end of the clause.

Common Mistakes

I saw a ship in distance.
I saw a ship in the distance.
the phrase always keeps 'the' before 'distance'.
A boat moved on the distance.
A boat moved in the distance.
use 'in', not 'on', for something far away in view.

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Built from 'distance', which came through Old French 'destance' from Latin 'distantia', meaning a standing apart. The fixed phrase pairs this with 'in the' to point to a far place within sight or hearing.