# country mile

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/country-mile
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A long way, a great distance.

## Examples

- The next gas station is a country mile away.
- This old house is a country mile from the nearest grocery store.
- You are a country mile away from the correct answer to this question.
- You missed the turn, so the hotel is now a country mile behind us.
- The runner won the race by a country mile, crossing the finish line long before the other athletes even appeared.
- Her new apartment is a country mile from her office, so she spends two hours on the train every morning.
- Although he claimed to be near the destination, the village remained a country mile beyond the distant, fog-covered hills.

## Origin

From *country* + *mile*, the term entered the written record c. 1717 in the publications of M. Dutton. The idiom derives from the topographical inconveniences of rural travel. Whereas a mile in the city might follow a straight line, roads in the country were notable for a winding, twisting nature. This lack of linear discipline ensured that the perceived distance of the journey frequently exceeded the measured distance of the road.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.