far-away

She gazed out the window with a far-away look in her eyes.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Distant in space or time: "far-away" describes something that is located at a great distance, either physically or temporally.
   • Abstracted or dreamy: "far-away" can also describe a look or expression that suggests someone is lost in thought or not fully present.

Usage Examples

• (A distant geographical location.)
• (An abstracted, dreamy expression.)

Advanced Usage

• "a far-away place": a location that is very remote or isolated.

  • They dreamed of escaping to a far-away island. (A very distant and secluded island.)

• "a far-away time": a period in the distant past or future.

  • In a far-away time, before the invention of writing, stories were told orally. (A time long ago.)

Variants and Related Words

• Faraway (adj): an alternative spelling of "far-away", meaning distant or remote.

  • The faraway sound of bells echoed through the valley. (Distant bells.)

• Far-off (adj): very distant in space or time; synonymous with "far-away".

  • Far-off galaxies are still being studied by astronomers. (Very distant galaxies.)

Synonyms

• Remote: far away from populated areas; isolated.
• Distant: far away in space or time.
• Abstracted: (for the dreamy meaning) lost in thought; not paying attention.

Related Idioms

• Far from the madding crowd: in a quiet, secluded place, far away from busy city life.
  • He retired to a cottage far from the madding crowd. (A peaceful, remote location.)