Most people use the words “farthest” and “furthest” interchangeably, but there is a difference. Farthest refers to distance, while furthest refers to a degree. For example, if you are at the farthest point away from something, that would be your maximum distance from it. However, if you are going the furthest in anything, that means you are doing your best and trying your hardest. Hopefully, this clears up any confusion!
What is Farthest?
Farthest is an adjective that means located at the greatest distance from a specified point or Farthest refers to the most distant or extreme point of something. For example, the farthest star from Earth is Proxima Centauri, which is 4.24 light-years away from our planet. Additionally, the farthest place from any landmass on Earth is Point Nemo, located in the Southern Ocean 2,688 kilometers (1,670 miles) from Ducie Island—the nearest landfall.
Farthest can also be used to describe someone who is extremely tired after a long journey—for example, “I’ve been walking for hours and I’m feeling farthest.” In this instance, farthest is likely a blend of far and tired. ancestry.com defines Farthest as “The most distant in time or space; especially: the most remote in an ancestor-descendant relationship.” Farther typically refers to physical distance, while farther describes more figurative distances. For example, you might say “Chicago is farther from New York than Boston is,” meaning that it’s a long journey by car or plane.
What is Furthest?
Furthest is an adjective that means farthest or most distant. It can be used to describe physical distance, as in “the Furthest town from here is three hundred miles away,” or metaphorical distance, as in “he’s the furthest thing from a perfect husband.” Furthest is also used in the superlative form, Farthest away or farthest out, to describe the most distant object in a group. For example, “in our solar system, farthest away from the sun is Neptune.” Finally, Furthest can be used as a noun to refer to the most distant point or place, as in “we hiked to the Furthest reaches of the canyon.” No matter how you use it, Furthest is a versatile word that can help you add precision to your writing.
Difference between Farthest and Furthest
Farthest and furthest are both superlatives of far. Farthest is used when referring to physical distance, whereas furthest is used when referring to abstract distance. For example, you might say that the sun is the farthest object from Earth because it is the most distant object in physical space. Alternatively, you might say that forgiveness is the furthest thing from your mind because it is the most distant concept from your current state of mind. When in doubt, remember that farthest always refers to physical distance and furthest always refers to abstract distance.
Conclusion
Farthest is an adjective that means the greatest distance between two points. Furthest is an adverb meaning to or at the greatest distance. In most cases, they can be used interchangeably, but there are a few instances where furthest should be used instead of farthest. For example, if you’re describing something that’s located in space, you would use furthest because it’s measuring from Earth. Another instance would be if you were talking about time – such as “furthest point in the future” – then you would use furthest because it’s measuring from now. Hopefully, this clears up any confusion and helps you remember when to use each word!
