by far

by far

By a large amount; by a lot. Most of the kids in the class are good artists, but Susie is by far the best—she's our resident Picasso! Look out for Albert, he's the fastest runner in your heat by far. I can't believe I'm saying this, because Phil's made a lot of awful business decisions over the years, but this is the worst one by far.

See also: by, far

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

by far

Also, far and away. To the greatest degree, by a large margin. For example, She is by far the most experienced member of the cast, or, as Anthony Trollope wrote, "He was far and away the cleverest of his party" ( The Duke's Children, 1880). The first term dates from the late 1700s, the variant from the mid-1800s. Also see by half.

See also: by, far

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

by ˈfar

by a very great amount; much: This is by far the best painting/This is the best painting by far. ♢ Our holiday this year was better by far than last year’s.

See also: by, far

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

by far

To the most extreme or evident degree: She is by far the best executive in the company.

See also: by, far

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.