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distance
[ dis-tuhns ]
noun
- the extent or amount of space between two things, points, lines, etc.
- the state or fact of being apart in space, as of one thing from another; remoteness.
- a linear extent of space:
Seven miles is a distance too great to walk in an hour.
- an expanse; area:
A vast distance of water surrounded the ship.
- the interval between two points of time; an extent of time:
His vacation period was a good distance away.
- remoteness or difference in any respect:
Our philosophies are a long distance apart.
- an amount of progress:
We've come a long distance on the project.
- a distant point, place, or region.
- the distant part of a field of view:
a tree in the distance.
- absence of warmth; reserve:
Their first meeting in several years was hampered by a certain distance between them.
Synonyms: , , ,
- Music. interval ( def 6 ).
- Horse Racing. (in a heat race) the space measured back from the winning post that a horse must reach by the time the winner passes the winning post or be eliminated from subsequent heats.
- Mathematics. the greatest lower bound of differences between points, one from each of two given sets.
- Obsolete. disagreement or dissension; a quarrel.
verb (used with object)
- to leave behind at a distance, as at a race; surpass.
- to place at a distance.
- to cause to appear distant.
distance
/ ˈɪəԲ /
noun
- the intervening space between two points or things
- the length of this gap
- the state of being apart in space; remoteness
- an interval between two points in time
- the extent of progress; advance
- a distant place or time
he lives at a distance from his work
- a separation or remoteness in relationship; disparity
- geometry
- the length of the shortest line segment joining two points
- the length along a straight line or curve
- the distancethe most distant or a faraway part of the visible scene or landscape
- horse racing
- a point on a racecourse 240 yards from the winning post
- any interval of more than 20 lengths between any two finishers in a race
- the part of a racecourse that a horse must reach in any heat before the winner passes the finishing line in order to qualify for later heats
- go the distance
- boxing to complete a bout without being knocked out
- to be able to complete an assigned task or responsibility
- keep one's distanceto maintain a proper or discreet reserve in respect of another person
- the distant parts of a picture, such as a landscape
- middle distance
- (in a picture) halfway between the foreground and the horizon
- (in a natural situation) halfway between the observer and the horizon
- modifier athletics relating to or denoting the longer races, usually those longer than a mile
a distance runner
verb
- to hold or place at a distance
- to separate (oneself) mentally or emotionally from something
- to outdo; outstrip
Other Word Forms
- 徱tԳ· adjective
Word History and Origins
Idioms and Phrases
- go the distance,
- (in horse racing) to be able to run well in a long race.
- Informal. to finish or complete something, especially something difficult, challenging, or requiring sustained effort.
- keep at a distance, to treat coldly or in an unfriendly manner.
- keep one's distance, to avoid becoming familiar or involved; remain cool or aloof.
More idioms and phrases containing distance
see go the distance ; keep one's distance ; spitting distance .Example Sentences
I get the clear sense that she was raised to allow people in but also keeps a safe psychic distance, a spiritual boundary that, when respected, falls away.
She had previously taken on two half-marathons in 2023, but Sunday was the first time she faced the physical challenge of a full marathon, completing the distance in seven hours.
A driver who had brought visitors from the capital, Srinagar, told BBC Hindi that he was pleading with those visiting not to "distance" themselves from Kashmir.
The cousins are content to spend the weekend holed up with each other, sorting through the past and measuring the distance between them.
Many Californians face months-long waits for appointments or have to travel long distances or go to emergency rooms for non-urgent medical needs, which means hours spent in crowded waiting rooms for unnecessarily expensive care.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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