BY FAR

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does by far mean? 

• BY FAR (adverb)
  The adverb BY FAR has 1 sense:

1. by a considerable margin

  Familiarity information: BY FAR used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BY FAR (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

By a considerable margin

Synonyms:

by far; far and away; out and away

Context example:

it was far and away the best meal he had ever eaten

 Context examples 

Between 40 and 45 percent by weight of the regolith is oxygen - by far the most abundant component by weight.

(Scientists Find Way to Extract Oxygen from Moon Dirt, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

But to a Genevan magistrate, whose mind was occupied by far other ideas than those of devotion and heroism, this elevation of mind had much the appearance of madness.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

“'Tis too much!” she added, “by far too much. I do not deserve it. Oh! why is not everybody as happy?”

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Once they were seated in the living-room, he began to get on easily—more easily by far than he had expected.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Mrs. Norris was obliged to be satisfied with thinking just the same, and with having been on the point of proposing the 22nd herself, as by far the best day for the purpose.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Heavy-duty vehicles, such as commercial trucks and buses, were by far the largest contributor worldwide, accounting for 76 percent of the total excess NOx emissions.

(Diesel Pollutes More Than Lab Tests Detect, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Catherine walked on to her chamber, making up her mind as well as she could, to a further acquaintance with Captain Tilney, and comforting herself under the unpleasant impression his conduct had given her, and the persuasion of his being by far too fine a gentleman to approve of her, that at least they should not meet under such circumstances as would make their meeting materially painful.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Jim was prouder of it by far than of anything he had had a hand in in his life, but it was only to me that he ever spoke about it, for he had that tenderness towards her that one has for those whom one has helped.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The individual galaxies in this dense cosmic pileup are starburst galaxies and the concentration of vigorous star formation in such a compact region makes this by far the most active region ever observed in the young Universe.

(Ancient Galaxy Megamergers, ESO)

With a desperation that was madness, unmindful of the pain, he hurried up the slope to the crest of the hill over which his comrade had disappeared—more grotesque and comical by far than that limping, jerking comrade.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)