way offadv.adj.
/ˈweɪ ˌɒf/, U.S. /ˈweɪ ˌɔf/, /ˈweɪ ˌɑf/ Originally U.S.
A. adv.
1. Far away.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > distance > distance or farness > [adverb] > at or to a distance
ferrenc888
farc900
longOE
afarc1300
yond13..
on length1340
alonga1382
adreigha1393
on dreicha1400
afar offc1400
far-aboutc1450
alengtha1500
distantlya1500
remote1589
remotely1609
yferrea1643
out of his (her, its, etc.) way1650
adistance1807
away1818
way1833
way1833
way off1836
way out1840
1836 Slavery in Amer. Oct. 92/1 They are stolen from father and mother, and chained and carried way off on the ocean.
1853 G. C. Hill Dovecote 29 I found her 'way off in them woods yonder!
1897 S. Crane Third Violet xxxiii. 215 I am going somewhere; but I don't know where. 'Way off, anyhow.
1929 D. H. Lawrence Pansies 72 Out of the soul's middle to the middle-most sun, way-off, or in every atom.
1952 Manch. Guardian Weekly 22 May 7/2 Way off to the right was a beery Irishman.
2009 J. Clark Road to Bliss i. 1 He saw a farmhouse way off in the distance.
2. Far from the intended target; far away from an intention or aim; greatly mistaken, quite wrong.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > lack of truth, falsity > [adverb] > in a wrong way, amiss
on missc1225
overthwarta1382
a-crookc1500
awrya1513
wide?1529
astray1535
across1559
bias1600
outa1641
beside the bridge1652
on the wrong side of the post1728
abroad1806
off1843
way off1882
off beam1941
up the boohai?1946
1882 Waterloo (Iowa) Courier 10 May There is another point on which the Review man is ‘way off’.
1906 A. H. Lewis Confess. Detective i. i. 10 ‘You're dead wrong, Doc!’ broke in Mugsey... ‘You're 'way off.’
1922 Charleston (W. Virginia) Daily Mail 30 Sept. 5/1 The manager of Wills followed his man through the crowd telling all: ‘He was way off tonight. He was way off.’
1962 J. Glenn in J. Glenn et al. Into Orbit 209 My attitude indications on the instrument panel are way off.
1973 ‘H. Howard’ Highway to Murder x. 118 Seemed first impressions could be 'way off.
2007 K. Herman Ever Present Danger xxxii. 253 You're way off, man. Whoever killed those guys is out there somewhere, not in here!
B. adj.
Distant.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > distance > distance or farness > [adjective]
sideOE
fara1000
ferrenc1160
lungeteync1330
on dreicha1400
yondera1413
widec1425
roomc1443
lontaignec1450
remote1533
distant1549
remotedc1580
disloigned1596
discoasted1598
dissite1600
far-off1600
aloof1608
longinque1614
distantial1648
Atlantic1790
far-distant1793
far-away1816
far-apart1865
way off1871
1871 A. D. Whitney We Girls (U.K. ed.) xi. 229 General and Mrs. Ingleside..had come from their way-off, beautiful Wisconsin home.
1928 D. H. Lawrence Woman who rode Away & Other Stories 93 The way-off things like the sun.
1974 W. A. Wellman Short Time for Insanity vii. 211 He looked off again into that way-off world of his.
2009 P. Pickton Beautiful Dreamer vii. 55 In some way off time, somewhere, in another world perhaps.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2015; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
<
adv.adj.1836