distant

adjective

ˈdi-stənt How to pronounce distant (audio)
Definition of distantnext
1
as in away
not close in time or space the distant towers were barely visible in the fog

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others was distant and distracted all throughout the interview

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in different
being not of the same kind a marriage between two people from very distant cultures

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distant Terraforming remains a distant and deeply speculative prospect beset by enormous scientific and engineering challenges. — Lee Billings, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026 But eventually those thoughts were interrupted by a distant grunt. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026 The biggest challenges, its designers say, were mimicking the fade from crisp morning rays to bright noon light to a soft evening glow, and creating a sense of depth to conjure the distant sky. — Emma Barker, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 The executives, for their part, were serving still more distant masters—shareholders, owners, and the CEO in his private jet. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for distant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distant
  1. away
  2. detached
  3. different
  4. far
  5. cold
  6. diverse
  7. deep
  8. remote
Adjective
  • Ulrich, 21, suffered a critical head injury Saturday while playing football for Southern Nazarene University in an away game against Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Oct. 2026
  • While there were zero arrests at Lambeau Field for the normally hostile Bears-Packers game, emotions were high at SoFi Stadium between winless Chargers fans and Broncos fans who invaded the away game by the tens of thousands.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of away
Adjective
  • There’s also an indoor-outdoor dog run, as well as a detached guesthouse with its own kitchen and bath and a seven-car garage sporting a Tesla charging station.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Goldfish centers on a 17-year-old high school senior who presents as detached, ironic and emotionally armored, but underneath is quietly paralyzed by fear of failure, abandonment and becoming his parents.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of detached
Adjective
  • Disney — also profitable — has made three rounds of layoffs in 2026 across different parts of the business.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In reality, both objects orbit the star in the same direction, just at different, changing speeds.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of different
Adjective
  • The frontrunner is Marine Le Pen, who has worked for years to make her far-right party, the National Rally, more electable while campaigning on immigration, crime, and denunciation of an out-of-touch political class.
    — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In France, Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally is leading presidential polls ahead of the 2027 election and has called for a sweeping overhaul of public broadcasting, including privatization.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of far
Adjective
  • That level of pure confidence while talking to the person with cold, hard footage is what makes Lisa Barlow the perfect Real Housewife.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Shea’s supervisor confronted her when Shea’s findings in a cold case could not be replicated.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • Conceivably, there is Naftali Bennett, who served as PM in 2021-22 but could not keep his diverse coalition together.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 18 Oct. 2026
  • His great-grandson is focused on how to build a corporate culture that suits both Japan, “our mother countryâ€� and the source of more than half of the group’s sales, and the diverse expectations of 40,000 employees around the world.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of diverse
Adjective
  • Both have built much of their appeal on opposition to the political establishment, the promise to wish away budget constraints, and deep hostility toward the European Union.
    — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Acting was his guiding passion, but his deep love for the avant-garde helped till the ground for the city’s theatrical renaissance that the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival catalyzed.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of deep
Adjective
  • His father Amin Mia, 26, said no health workers came to their remote village in Sylhet to offer vaccinations in time.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • But development inequality remains acute, especially between cities and more rural or remote areas.
    — John Liu, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of remote

Browse Nearby Words

distancing
distant
distantly
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Cite this Entry

“Distant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distant. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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