far cry

English

Etymology

In allusion to the sending of criers or messengers through the territory of a Scottish clan with an announcement or summons.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

far cry (plural far cries)

1. (idiomatic, usually in the phrase 'a far cry from') A long distance, in terms of dissimilarity or difference.

   Life in the big city was a far cry from his upbringing on a quiet, small farm.

   • 1951 July, Richard D. Reekie, “Critical Analysis of Recent Advances in Gynecology”, in Northwest Medicine, volume 50, number 7, Portland, Ore.: Northwest Medical Publishing Association, page 508:

     The perineometer of Kagele was unheard of and the hormonology of today is a far cry from the rather crude and relatively weak hormones available in the early and mid-thirties.

   • 2019 May 19, Alex McLevy, “The final Game Of Thrones brings a pensive but simple meditation about stories (newbies)”, in The A.V. Club‎^[1], archived from the original on 22 May 2019:

     Brienne intervenes in the story of Jaime Lannister, adding to his legend with the exploits she believes paint the picture of him that deserves to live on. Her words are a far cry from those Jaime used to describe himself at their last encounter, instead recounting his deeds and ending with the simple, “He died protecting his queen,” a sentence that belies the complicated mix of nobility and tragedy entwined in his actions.

   • 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 65:

     It's a far cry from a previous trip on a Class 150, where the set wheezed and vibrated so much as it staggered up Dainton Bank that I thought it was going to shake itself to bits!

Adverb

far cry (not comparable)

1. much: to a great extent or degree; by far

   a far cry taller

References

• “be a far cry from”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.