in the distance
FAR AWAY/OFF, afar, just in view, on the horizon, yonder

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

far adverb a long distance – used mainly in negatives and questions, or after ‘too’, ‘so’, and ‘as’:
It’s not far to the airport from here.
Have you driven far?
The ship was so far away we could hardly see it.
a long way adverb a long distance from somewhere. This is the most common way of talking about long distances, except in negatives and questions when far is also common:
You must be tired – you’ve come a long way.
It’s a long way down from the top of the cliff.
I can’t see things that are a long way away.
miles adverb informal a very long way:
We hiked miles.
The school is miles away from where I live.
in the distance adverb a long way from where you are now – used when talking about things that seem small or sounds that seem quiet because they are a long way away:
Dogs were barking somewhere in the distance.
distant adjective especially written used about something that is a long distance from where you are now, and looks small or sounds quiet:
By now, the plane was just a distant speck in the sky.
the rumble of distant thunder
faraway adjective especially written a very long distance from where you are now:
a traveller from a faraway land
His voice sounded faraway.
He told us stories about the faraway countries he had visited.
remote adjective a remote place is a long distance from other places, and few people go there:
The helicopter crashed in a remote part of the country.
remote holiday destinations
isolated adjective an isolated place is a long distance from other towns, buildings, or people, and there is very little communication with surrounding places:
isolated rural areas of Nepal
Occasionally we passed through a small isolated village.
If you travel to isolated areas, make sure you have a good guide.
off the beaten track (also off the beaten path American English) adverb a place that is off the beaten track is a long distance from the places where people usually go, and often seems interesting and different because of this:
She likes to go to places that are a bit off the beaten track.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲