Distant vs. Distance — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on August 18, 2023
Distant is an adjective describing something far away, while distance is a noun referring to the amount of space between two points.
Difference Between Distant and Distance
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Distant, as an adjective, describes a state or quality of being far away in space or time. For instance, when we refer to a star as distant, we talk about it being far from Earth. Distance, on the other hand, is a noun and indicates the measurement or extent of space between two things. It quantifies how far apart two objects or points are from each other.
Distant can also refer to a relationship or emotional state, indicating a lack of closeness or intimacy. For instance, when someone says, "He's been distant lately," it implies emotional detachment. Distance, however, in its literal sense, doesn't have emotional connotations but can metaphorically suggest emotional separation, as in "There's a distance between them after the argument."
In literature and common usage, distant might be used to describe something unreachable or abstract, like a distant memory or a distant dream. Distance, conversely, could be used to discuss the exact space one needs to travel, like the distance from New York to Los Angeles.
In essence, distant serves to characterize objects, places, or emotions in terms of their remoteness or lack of proximity. Distance is more concrete, denoting the interval or gap between two points, whether it be physical, temporal, or, metaphorically, emotional.
Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Adjective
Noun
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Refers to
Being far away in space, time, or relation
Measurement or extent of space between two points
Usage in a Sentence
"She felt distant from her family."
"The distance between the two cities is 100 miles."
Emotional Context
Can indicate emotional detachment or lack of closeness
Can indicate emotional separation, but not as commonly
Abstract Usage
Can describe something abstract like a distant dream
Generally more concrete, but can be used metaphorically
Compare with Definitions
Distant
Far away in space or time.
The mountain peak seemed distant and unreachable.
Distance
The extent or amount of space between two things.
The distance from Earth to the Moon is about 238,855 miles.
Distant
Remote in manner; aloof.
Her distant demeanor made it hard to connect.
Distance
Ideal disjunction; discrepancy; contrariety.
Distant
Coming from or going to a faraway place.
He received a call from a distant land.
Distance
Distance is a numerical measurement of how far apart objects or points are. In physics or everyday usage, distance may refer to a physical length or an estimation based on other criteria.
Distant
Far separated; far off; not near; remote; - in place, time, consanguinity, or connection; as, distant times; distant relatives.
The success of these distant enterprises.
Distance
The space between two objects; the length of a line, especially the shortest line joining two points or things that are separate; measure of separation in place.
Every particle attracts every other with a force . . . inversely proportioned to the square of the distance.
Distant
Not closely related.
A distant cousin visited us.
Distance
Remoteness of place; a remote place.
Distant
Far away in space or time
Distant parts of the world
I remember that distant afternoon
Distance
A far-off point or space.
He could see a house in the distance.
Distant
Far apart in relationship
A distant cousin.
Distance
A space marked out in the last part of a racecourse.
Distant
Aloof or chilly
A distant smile.
Distance
To leave far behind; outrun.
Distant
Far off (physically, logically or mentally).
We heard a distant rumbling but didn't pay any more attention to it.
She was surprised to find that her fiancé was a distant relative of hers.
His distant look showed that he was not listening to me.
Distance
Length or interval of time.
Distant
Emotionally unresponsive or unwilling to express genuine feelings.
Ever since our argument, she has been totally distant toward me.
Distance
A withholding of intimacy; alienation; variance.
The friendship did not survive the row: they kept each other at a distance.
Distant
Reserved or repelling in manners; cold; not cordial; somewhat haughty; as, a distant manner.
He passed me with a distant bow.
Distance
Remoteness in succession or relation; as, the distance between a descendant and his ancestor.
Distant
Far apart in relevance or relationship;
A distant cousin
A distant likeness
Distance
Size of the gap between two places;
The distance from New York to Chicago
He determined the length of the shortest line segment joining the two points
Distant
Separate or different in nature.
Their cultures had distant origins.
Distance
(countable) The amount of space between two points, usually geographical points, usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line.
The distance to Petersborough is thirty miles.
From Moscow, the distance is relatively short to Saint Petersburg, relatively long to Novosibirsk, but even greater to Vladivostok.
Distant
Separate or apart in space.
Distance
Relative space, between troops in ranks, measured from front to rear; - contrasted with interval, which is measured from right to left.
Distant
Indistinct; faint; obscure, as from distance.
Some distant knowledge.
A distant glimpse.
Distance
To place at a distance or remotely.
I heard nothing thereof at Oxford, being then miles distanced thence.
Distant
(of a person) not intimate; cool or reserved
She and my father were distant with each other
His children found him strangely distant
Distance
A difference or gap in attitude, opinion, or position.
There's a great distance between their political views.
Distant
Far distant in time;
Distant events
The remote past or future
A civilization ten centuries removed from modern times
Distance
(transitive) To leave at a distance; to outpace, leave behind.
Distant
Minimally similar
A distant likeness.
Distance
A withholding of intimacy; alienation; coldness; disagreement; variance; restraint; reserve.
Setting them [factions] at distance, or at least distrust amongst themselves.
On the part of Heaven,Now alienated, distance and distaste.
Distant
Far removed mentally
Distant thoughts.
Distance
The property created by the space between two objects or points
Distant
Not conformable; discrepant; repugnant; as, a practice so widely distant from Christianity.
Distance
The fact or condition of being apart in space; remoteness.
Distant
Remote in manner;
Stood apart with aloof dignity
A distant smile
He was upstage with strangers
Distance
(Mathematics) The length or numerical value of a straight line or curve.
Distant
Far distant in space;
Distant lands
Remote stars
A remote outpost of civilization
A hideaway far removed from towns and cities
Distance
The extent of space between points on a measured course.
Distant
Far removed; remote
Distant lands.
Distance
The length of a race, especially of a horserace.
Distant
Coming from or going to a distance
A distant sound.
A distant telephone call.
Distance
A point or area that is far away
"Telephone poles stretched way into a distance I couldn't quite see" (Leigh Allison Wilson).
Distant
Far removed or apart in time
The distant past.
Distant events.
Distance
A depiction of a such a point or area.
Distant
Separated; having an intervening space; at a distance; away.
One board had two tenons, equally distant.
Diana's temple is not distant far.
Distance
A stretch of space without designation of limit; an expanse
A land of few hills and great distances.
Distant
Separated in space or time or coming from or going to a distance;
The distant past
Distant villages
The sound of distant traffic
A distant sound
A distant telephone call
Distance
Difference or disagreement
The candidates could not be at a greater distance on this issue.
Distance
Emotional separateness or reserve; aloofness.
Distance
Remoteness in succession or relation.
The distance between a descendant and his ancestor
Distance
The entire amount of progress to an objective.
He had promised to perform this task, but did not go the distance.
Distance
The space measured back from the winning-post which a racehorse running in a heat must reach when the winner has covered the whole course, in order to run in the final heat.
Distance
(transitive) To move away (from) someone or something.
He distanced himself from the comments made by some of his colleagues.
Distance
(transitive) To lose interest in a specific issue.
Distance
Remoteness of place; a remote place.
Easily managed from a distance.
'T is distance lends enchantment to the view.
[He] waits at distance till he hears from Cato.
Distance
Space between two antagonists in fencing.
Distance
The part of a picture which contains the representation of those objects which are the farthest away, esp. in a landscape.
Distance
The interval between two notes; as, the distance of a fourth or seventh.
If a man makes me keep my distance, the comfort is he keeps his at the same time.
Distance
A distant region;
I could see it in the distance
Distance
Indifference by personal withdrawal;
Emotional distance
Distance
A remote point in time;
If that happens it will be at some distance in the future
At a distance of ten years he had forgotten many of the details
Distance
Keep at a distance;
We have to distance ourselves from these events in order to continue living
Distance
Go far ahead of;
He outdistanced the other runners
Distance
The condition of being removed or apart.
He kept his distance from the controversial topic.
Distance
The extent of progress or advancement.
We've covered a good distance in the project.
Distance
The length of the space between two points
You may have to walk long distances
I cycled the short distance home
Distance
The full length of a race
He claimed the 100 m title in only his second race over the distance
Distance
The avoidance of familiarity; reserve
A mix of warmth and distance makes a good neighbour
Distance
Make (someone or something) far off or remote in position or nature
Her mother wished to distance her from the rough village children
Distance
Beat (a horse) by a distance.
Distance
The extent of space between two objects or places; an intervening space.
Distance
The extent of time between two events; an intervening period.
Distance
A point removed in time
At a distance of 11 years, his memory of the crime was blurry.
Distance
The full period or length of a contest or game
The challenger had never attempted the distance of 12 rounds.
Distance
An amount of progress
The curriculum committee is a distance from where it was last month.
Distance
To place or keep at or as if at a distance
"monks who had distanced themselves from the official ecclesiastical hierarchy by resurrecting the ascetic traditions of the early Church Fathers" (Rosamund Bartlett).
Distance
To cause to appear at a distance.
Distance
The difference; the subjective measure between two quantities.
We're narrowing the distance between the two versions of the bill.
The distance between the lowest and next gear on my bicycle is annoying.
Distance
The remoteness or reserve which respect requires; hence, respect; ceremoniousness.
Distance
A space marked out in the last part of a race course.
The horse that ran the whole field out of distance.
Distance
Length or interval of time; period, past or future, between two eras or events.
Ten years' distance between one and the other.
The writings of Euclid at the distance of two thousand years.
Distance
The remoteness or reserve which respect requires; hence, respect; ceremoniousness.
I hope your modestyWill know what distance to the crown is due.
'T is by respect and distance that authority is upheld.
Distance
To cause to appear as if at a distance; to make seem remote.
His peculiar art of distancing an object to aggrandize his space.
Distance
The interval between two times;
The distance from birth to death
It all happened in the space of 10 minutes
Common Curiosities
How is distance different from distant in meaning?
While distant describes a state or quality of being far away, distance is the actual measure of how far apart two things are.
Can distant describe emotions?
Yes, distant can describe emotional detachment or a lack of closeness.
What part of speech is distant?
Distant is an adjective.
Can distance indicate emotional separation?
Yes, phrases like "putting distance between" can metaphorically indicate emotional separation, but it's less common than the emotional connotations of distant.
In what scenarios can distant be used?
Distant can describe physical space, time, relationships, or even emotions indicating remoteness or lack of proximity.
Is it correct to say, "The mountain looks distant"?
Yes, it means the mountain looks far away.
Is distance used only in physical contexts?
No, distance can also metaphorically suggest emotional, ideological, or temporal separation.
When should I use distant instead of distance?
Use distant when characterizing something as being far away, and use distance when referring to the actual space or gap between things.
How do I measure distance?
Distance can be measured in various units like miles, kilometers, feet, etc., depending on the context.
Can distant and distance be used interchangeably?
No, they serve different grammatical roles and have distinct meanings.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
