distance
verb/ˈdɪstəns/
/ˈdɪstəns/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they distance | /ˈdɪstəns/ /ˈdɪstəns/ |
| he / she / it distances | /ˈdɪstənsɪz/ /ˈdɪstənsɪz/ |
| past simple distanced | /ˈdɪstənst/ /ˈdɪstənst/ |
| past participle distanced | /ˈdɪstənst/ /ˈdɪstənst/ |
| -ing form distancing | /ˈdɪstənsɪŋ/ /ˈdɪstənsɪŋ/ |
- to become less involved or connected with somebody/something
- distance yourself from somebody/something When he retired, he tried to distance himself from politics.
- The company has tried to distance itself from the remarks made by some of its employees.
- distance yourself It's not always easy for nurses to distance themselves emotionally.
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- distance somebody/something from somebody/something to make somebody/something less involved or connected with somebody/something
- Her mother wished to distance her from the rough village children.
- These narrative techniques actually distance the reader from the story.
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘discord, debate’): from Old French or from Latin distantia, from distant- ‘standing apart’, from the verb distare, from dis- ‘apart’ + stare ‘stand’.
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distance