Spanish word

distar

Pronunciation

IPA/disˈtaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbbe far away from

Example

La ciudad dista mucho de mi pueblo.

The city is very far away from my village.

Illustration for distar (be far away from)

More examples

La situación actual dista mucho de lo que esperábamos.

The current situation is a long way from what we expected.

Core concept

A measuring line with a clear gap between two ticks.

Similar words

alejarse: Moves away from someone or something by self-initiated motion.
separarse: Moves apart from one another, creating a visible gap.
distanciarse: Becomes more distant in relationship or in physical space.

Definition in Spanish

Indicar que algo o alguien está separado por cierta distancia, ya sea en el espacio o en cuanto a diferencia de grado o carácter.

Word origin

Borrowed from Latin distare (dis- 'apart' + stare 'stand'), distar in Spanish keeps the core meaning 'be apart' and covers literal separation and figurative disparity.

Usage tips

  • Distar normally takes de (distar de) and is more common in descriptive or analytical writing than in casual conversation.

Other meanings

  • differverb

Opposites

  • acercarsecome closerverb
  • aproximarseapproachverb

Related words

Word lists with this word