on the far side of

on the far side of — idiom

1. past or beyond a particular point in age, distance, or time — used especially to

1.idiomB2
Definition

past or beyond a particular point in age, distance, or time — used especially to say that someone has passed a certain milestone (such as an age) or that something is located on the opposite side of a physical or figurative boundary.

Example

Bao lives on the far side of the mountain where the road turns to dirt.

literal location: beyond a physical boundary

Aunt Manuela is on the far side of sixty but still jogs five kilometres each morning.

age milestone: past a certain age

Common collocations
  • on the far side of + [age: forty / fifty / sixty]
  • on the far side of + [place: the mountain / the river / the border / the hill]
  • on the far side of + [abstract: the peak / the crisis / the deadline]
Synonyms
  • beyond

    neutral and widely used in both formal and informal contexts; 'on the far side of' is more emphatic about distance or remoteness

  • past

    common with ages ('past sixty') and time; slightly less vivid than 'on the far side of'

  • over

    works for ages ('over fifty') but focuses on exceeding a number rather than spatial remoteness

Antonyms
  • under

    direct opposite when talking about age or numbers ('under sixty')

  • on this side of

    spatial and figurative opposite, though far less common

Usage Note

Common with ages (e.g., 'on the far side of forty') and physical locations ('the far side of the bridge'). The phrase carries a mild sense of remoteness or distance beyond a familiar point. Avoid using this idiom in formal writing — use 'beyond' or 'past' instead.

Common Mistakes

He was on the far side of 18 last month.
He turned 18 last month.
'on the far side of' sounds odd with small numbers; it works best when referring to a more significant milestone (e.g. forty, fifty, sixty).
The store is on the far side of the street.
The store is on the other side of the street.
For short, everyday distances, 'the far side of' sounds unnatural and too dramatic.

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The phrase builds on the Old English 'feor' (distant) + 'sīde' (flank, edge). 'The far side of' has been used since at least the 1400s to mean the opposite or more distant side of a physical object. By the 1700s it had extended figuratively to mean 'beyond a point' in time or age. The modern idiomatic use — especially with ages ('on the far side of fifty') — became common in the 1800s.