stone's throw
/'stounzkɑ:st/ Cách viết khác : (stone-cast) /'stounkɑ:st/ (stone's_throw) /'stounz'θrou/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: - A very short distance: This phrase describes a distance that is very small, often implying that a place is easily reachable or very near. It originates from the idea of how far one can throw a stone.
Usage
The phrase "a stone's throw" is always used with an indefinite article ("a") and is typically followed by "from" to indicate the point of reference. It functions as a noun phrase, often as the subject or object of a sentence, or after a linking verb like "is" or "was".
Examples
- The beach is a stone's throw from our hotel.
- I live just a stone's throw from the city center.
- The new café is only a stone's throw away.
Advanced Usage
- "A stone's throw away": This is a common variant where "away" is added for emphasis, but the meaning remains identical to "a stone's throw."
- The station is a stone's throw away from here.
- Used to emphasize proximity in comparisons.
- Compared to the long commute I used to have, my new office is a stone's throw.
Variants and Related Words
- Stone's cast (noun): An older, less common synonym with the same meaning.
- The inn was within a stone's cast of the castle walls.
Synonyms
- A short distance
- A hop, skip, and a jump (idiomatic)
- A short walk
- A stone's cast
Related Idioms
- Within spitting distance: (Informal, slightly vulgar) Meaning very close by.
- A hop, skip, and a jump: An idiomatic expression for a very short distance.
- Right around the corner: Can mean very nearby, either literally or figuratively (e.g., an event about to happen).
Noun
- a short distance
- it's only a step to the drugstore