by far
Not even close
By far intensifies comparisons, meaning by a large margin or to a great degree: She was by far the best candidate, This is by far the most difficult exam I've taken.
The phrase emphasizes that something stands well apart from alternatives, not just slightly ahead.
- extremelyTo an intense degree
- overwhelminglyTo an overpowering degree
- unquestionablyBeyond any dispute
- without a doubtWith complete certainty
- undoubtedlyWith total certainty
hands down · absolutely · vastly · immeasurably · no contest · no question about it · head and shoulders · miles ahead · most · considerably · leaps and bounds · clearly · unparalleled · obviously · greatly · easily · unmatched · without question
- phrasesnoun phrases, noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, prepositional phrases
- superlativesexcellent, superb, best, outstanding, supreme
by farbarely
Only just, almost not
hardly · just barely · scarcely · by a hair · by a whisker
by fararguably
Open to debate
possibly · perhaps · debatably · questionably · conceivably
by, far, fare, faraway, farther, farthest, bypass, bystander, byproduct