Further Vs Farther

In American English, people use further to mean figurative distance and farther for physical distance. We use farther to indicate the actual distance and further in a metaphorical way.

Table of Contents

Further	vs	Farther
figurative distance, which generally can’t be measured	Definition	literal distance, which we can generally measure
Verb, adverb, and adjective	Parts of speech	Adverb and adjective
Furthered	Past tense	N/A
Required	Conjugation	Not required

What Does Further Mean?

We use the word further to explain figurative distances.

Further Examples

As a Verb

I would do anything to further my interest in this subject.
That politician gave an excellent speech, furthering the hopes of the locals.
I furthered my knowledge of Shakespeare by reading all of his plays.

Here, the literal meaning is progress or development. I can also mean promotion, acceleration, to aid in.

As an Adjective

I’ll give you further details on the subject after the meeting.
That university is best for further studies.
Do you have further questions?

Remember, an adjective describes or modifies a noun. In these examples, further can mean additional, more, or extended.

As an Adverb

He walked further up the hill
I am tired, but I have further to go

An adverb modifies or qualifies an adjective or verb. When used as an adverb, further means figurative distance (moreover, in addition to).

further vs farther — Further is used to show an undisclosed amount of time.

What Does Farther Mean?

Farther means more distance from a particular point, usually considered as the central point. In adverb form, farther means greater distance.

In simple terms, farther means the figurative distance or measurable distance.

Examples of Farther

As an Adverb

She refused to go even a step farther.
New York or Los Angeles, which is farther from here?
I have walked five miles farther from my place.

As an Adjective

That café is on the farther side of the city.
I went to the farther corner of the field without realizing it.

Differences Between Further And Farther

Meaning

We use farther in a more practical sense when we can measure the distance. But we use the word further in a more figurative sense when we can’t measure the distance.

The metaphorical meanings of further means to advance, extend, add, etc.

Parts of Speech

Further can be used as an adjective, verb, and adverb. In contrast, farther can only be used as an adjective and adverb.

Different Use Cases

Examples of Using Further

I want to go abroad for further studies.
You have to open a further investigation into the matter.
They failed to prevent further damage to their properties.
The MRI reports showed that the metal had gone further than the flesh.

More Examples of Using Farther

I went farther than I thought.
Even the nearest shop was much farther.
He pushed him quite farther when they were fighting.
That hill is more than five kilometers farther.
I can’t walk any farther now.
He is such a fast swimmer that he swam to the farther end of the pool in no time.
It is so foggy that I can’t see much farther.
Don’t go farther than this point.
Her house is farther than mine.
I will walk farther ten miles today.
My college is farther down the street.
I wanted to go ahead, but my dog refused to walk farther.