far-off

far-off — adjective

1. describing a time that lies many years in the past or many years in the future —

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describing a time that lies many years in the past or many years in the future — for example, the far-off days of one's childhood, or a far-off generation yet to be born.

例句

The old photos made Dario think of far-off days from his childhood.

far-off days — typical collocation for past time

In some far-off future, scientists hope to find a cure for every disease.

同義詞
  • distant

    neutral and more common in both speech and writing

  • remote

    suggests an even greater distance, slightly more formal

  • ancient

    only for the distant past, not the future

反義詞
  • recent

    of the near past

  • near

    of time close to the present; less common for future

文法句型

far-off + time noun (days, future, past, years, era)

用法筆記

Nearly always used before a noun related to time (days, future, past, years, era). The predicative position (e.g. 'those days seem far-off') is possible but much less common; in that case the hyphen is sometimes dropped.

常見錯誤

❌I will call you in the far-off future.
✅I will call you in the distant future.
💡'far-off' sounds dramatic or literary; in everyday conversation, 'distant' is more natural.

2. describing a place that is very far away from where you are or where you live —

2.形容詞B1
釋義

describing a place that is very far away from where you are or where you live — for example, a far-off island reached only by boat, or a far-off star visible through a telescope.

例句

Vikram dreamed of visiting far-off countries he had only seen in travel magazines.

far-off + country/land/island — typical attributive use for places

The ship took three months to reach that far-off island in the southern ocean.

同義詞
  • distant

    neutral and the most common alternative for spatial distance

  • remote

    emphasises isolation and difficulty of access

  • faraway

    slightly more informal, common in stories and travel writing

反義詞
  • nearby

    close in space

  • close

    short distance away; less literary than 'nearby'

文法句型

far-off + place noun (country, island, land, city, village)

用法筆記

Used almost exclusively before nouns for places (country, land, island, city, village). When the meaning is spatial distance after a linking verb, the two-word form 'far off' (without hyphen) is preferred: 'The coast was still far off.'

常見錯誤

❌The supermarket is far-off from my house.
✅The supermarket is far from my house.
💡After a linking verb, use 'far from' or 'far off' without a hyphen; 'far-off' before a noun only.