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Prepositions after adjectives

Distant from, to, in, with, or past?

Distant is most commonly followed by from when describing physical or emotional separation. Distant to appears mainly with measurements or relative location. Other prepositions usually introduce separate time or place details rather than complete adjective patterns.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with distant?

Use distant from for separation or difference. Distant to is possible when giving distances or relative position. In, with, and past usually introduce extra information, not fixed combinations with distant.

She felt emotionally distant from her family.
The village is distant from the coast.
The hotel is distant to the north of the city.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
distant from + person/place

Showing separation or lack of closeness

Use distant from for physical distance, emotional distance, or difference.

He became distant from his old friends.
The island is distant from the mainland.
2
distant to + location

Giving relative position or measured distance

Distant to is less common but possible in formal or descriptive contexts about location or distance.

The farm is distant to the east of the river.
The station is distant to the city centre.
3
distant in + time

Referring to time periods

In often introduces a separate time expression rather than a fixed adjective pattern.

That event now feels distant in time.
The memories seemed distant in the past.
4
distant with + people

Describing behaviour toward someone

With can introduce the person affected by someone's distant behaviour.

She was unusually distant with her colleagues.
He became distant with everyone at work.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
distant from
The brothers grew distant from each other.
standard for emotional or physical separation
distant to
The cabin is distant to the south of the lake.
used for relative location or measured distance, often formal
distant in
The war now seems distant in time.
in introduces a time context, not a fixed adjective-preposition pattern
distant with
She was distant with her guests all evening.
with identifies the people affected by the behaviour
distant past
Those customs belong to the distant past.
past is usually a noun phrase after distant, not a preposition after the adjective

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using to for emotional distance

For relationships and feelings, from is the normal choice.

✕ He feels distant to his parents. ✓ He feels distant from his parents.

Treating past as a preposition after distant

Past usually works as a noun in the phrase the distant past.

✕ The event is distant past us. ✓ The event belongs to the distant past.

Using in for physical separation

Use from to show distance between places.

✕ The town is distant in the capital. ✓ The town is distant from the capital.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She became emotionally ___ her classmates.
2. The lighthouse is distant ___ the north coast.
3. The incident now feels distant ___ time.

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Frequently asked questions

Is distant from the most common pattern?

Yes. It is the standard choice for emotional, social, and physical separation.

Can I say distant to?

Yes, especially in formal descriptions of location or measured distance, though it is less common than distant from.

Is distant with correct?

Yes. It describes someone's behaviour toward other people, as in distant with colleagues.

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