Further vs. farther
Further and farther are both the comparative forms of the adjective or adverb “far“, and can mean “at or to a greater distance in space or time”, and to “help something to develop or be successful”.
The further we walked, the more exhausted we became. .
That mountain is farther away than it appears. .
The meeting went farther than expected, discussing several new topics. .
It’s further to the next town, only about two more miles. .
Because both words can function in sentences as verbs, adverbs and adjectives, combined with their similar in meaning, they naturally get confused. Some distinctions between them to note are in the rest of this article.
When to use further vs. farther
- Farther is the preference to refer to distances (physical or literal); e.g., “It’s farther away than I’d thought.”
- As an adverb and adjective, further means “additionally”, “also” or “more”. As in, “are there any further questions?” Its meaning here is not shared with its counterpart “farther”.
Note: Some sources suggest to reserve the use of “farther” to physical distances only, and not for figurative distances; so, in the sentence “nothing could be farther from the truth“, should use ‘further‘ in its place since the distance being mentioned is figurative.
Furthest vs. farthest
As further and farther are the comparative forms, furthest and farthest are their corresponding superlative forms. The distinction in when to use either carries over to its superlative case.
- Generally, farthest is more common to refer to physical distances; e.g., “among all his cousins he lives farthest from the lake”.
- Use furthest when the “distance” is figurative or not physical; “this is the furthest we’ve gotten in developing the research”.
“Farther” / “further”, used in sentences
| Word Form | Examples |
|---|---|
| Other | Without that last-minute salvation, I would have had to return next summer to get to St. Kilda, which is another (nearly) hundred miles further west.
Also, she was tall and thin, too, further adding to the ways she met the physical beauty conventions. Of course, our original snowfall prediction made Tuesday, was farther off in many areas. Fairfax County is offering free transportation to vaccination sites for some residents who live farther away. |
“Further” / “farther” synonyms
| Meaning | Synonyms |
|---|---|
| Further (as in, additionally) | additionally, moreover, in addition, also, to a greater extent, supplementary |
| Verb: to promote/develop | promote, advance, forward, develop, stimulate, aide, expedite, encourage |
| As a preposition, meaning at a greater distance |
afar, at a greater distance, away, beyond, ahead, yonder, a good way |
Origin of “further”/”farther”
Old English furðor, forðor “to a more advanced position, forward, onward, beyond, more distant; farther away; later, afterward; to a greater degree or extent, in addition; moreover”.
More confusing words
Practice questions: Further or farther?
He can throw the ball ______ than anyone else on the team.
Do you have any ______ questions?
The mountain peak is much ______ away than I thought.
We need to discuss this ______ before making a decision.
How much ______ is it to the nearest gas station?
FAQs
When should I use ‘farther’?
+
When should I use ‘further’?
+
What’s the usage difference?
+
Are ‘furthest’ and ‘farthest’ related?
+
Why are ‘further’ and ‘farther’ confusing?
+
- Elements of Style, Strunk & White
Yash, D. "How to Use Further vs. Farther (Word Choice, Usage)." Grammarflex, Sep 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/further-vs-farther/.
