country mile
Informally, quite far
A country mile is an exaggerated distance—much farther than a literal mile.
The phrase plays on the idea that rural miles feel longer than urban ones, perhaps because of winding roads or sparse landmarks.
It emphasizes degree: She beat the competition by a country mile.
That guess wasn't even close—you missed it by a country mile.
Rhetorical extreme exaggeration
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- stretchPull to extend
- amplificationIncrease in intensity
tall tale · whopper · dramatization · understatement · figurative · colloquialism · idiom · folksy
At great distance
- lengthyOf excessive duration
- extensiveCovering a large scope
- vastExtremely great in size
- stretchPull to extend
span · gap · lead · margin · ahead · behind · difference · separation
hyperbole
Rhetorical extreme exaggeration
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- stretchPull to extend
amplification · tall tale · whopper · dramatization · understatement · figurative · colloquialism · idiom · folksy · colorful
far
At great distance
stretch · span · gap · lead · margin · ahead · behind · difference · separation · remote
backroads
Secondary rural routes
dirt road · gravel road · open road · fields · meadows · rolling hills · homestead · outback · heartland · hinterland
lead
Dense metal, symbol Pb
blowout · landslide · runaway · dominant · outpace · outstrip · trounce · crushing · decisive · no contest
country milestone's throw
Very short distance
hair's breadth · spitting distance · arm's length · next to nothing · right next door
country milephoto finish
Race decided by camera
neck and neck · dead heat · by a nose · too close to call · squeaker
country, mile, countries, miles, countrified, countryside, mileage, miler