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Amy
by far=way (too much)??
There's a definition of adverb 'way' in the Collins Cobuild dictionary that
"[ADV](emphasis) You can use way to emphasize, for example, that something is a great distance away or is very much below or above a particular level or amount."
And there's a definition of 'by far' that "by a very great amount; much
'1.This is by far the best painting / 2.This is the best painting by far'"
Then, do the sentence 1, the 2 mean the same thing as
'This is way too much the best painting.(1)'.
'This is the best painting way too much.(2)'?
Jul 13, 2012 11:47 PM
Answers · 4
2
"by far" means "to the most extreme degree"
a) That car is the most expensive car I have ever seen. I have never seen a car that is more expensive than that one.
b) That car is /by far/ the most expensive car I have ever seen. No other car that I have ever seen comes close to being as expensive as that one.
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"far" and "way" and "much" can mean "to a great degree" But this is not the same thing as "to the most extreme degree" (or: "by far").
So, the following three are identical in meaning:
That car is /way/ too expensive. I do not have enough money to buy it.
That car is /far/ too expensive. I do not have enough money to buy it.
That car is /much/ too expensive. I do not have enough money to buy it.
So, "way" can mean "far." But "way" does not mean "by far."
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Last, we have another expression "far and away," which is really just another way to express "by far," except with even more emphasis.
That car is /far and away/ the most expensive car that I have ever seen.
July 14, 2012
1
When comparing things you can use "by far" to express the thing that is clearly different (outstanding) from the others.
This is, by far, the best ice cream I have ever tasted.
This is, by far, the worst movie I have ever watched.
July 14, 2012
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Amy
Language Skills
English, Korean
Learning Language
English
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