a long way
88
3.6
- idiom
- We have come a long way toward perfecting our union.
- go a long way
- little kindness goes a long way
- a long way in helping
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Watch on YouTubeYeah, and little goes a long way, but it's beautiful.
- Yeah, and little goes a long way, but it's beautiful.
- It goes such a long way to improve workplace mental health.
- Yeah, well, I think education has gone a long way towards moving that needle.
- These little contributions can go such a long way and they will add up pretty fast.
Examples
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There is no question that Africa has come a long way since the 1970s.
Academic text (1992) -
Let's just say it would go a long way toward easing my disappointment.
Fiction book (2001) -
Things have come such a long way since those days.
-
We have come a long way, but we have a long way still to go.
-
The contract paid well, in dollars that went a long way in the local economy.
Fiction book (2001) -
Simply sharing how this happens goes a long way toward addressing the problem.
Academic text (2013) -
We've got a long way to go.
-
The intensive phonics approach to teaching goes a long way to support this belief.
Academic text (1993) -
Being able to meet one's own needs goes a long way toward assuaging those anxieties.
Academic text (2011) -
The community's efforts to preserve the park have come a long way in making it a safer space for everyone.
Synonyms
341
3.5
By a large, noticeable amount that makes a difference
312
1.0
By a very large amount
140
3.4
By a large amount
92
2.1
To a very great degree
49
3.4
To a great degree
16
3.5
To a large degree
16
7.4
To a very large degree
1
3.0
By a much larger amount than others
Antonyms
How Much
∞
1.0
140
3.4
88
3.6
811
2.0
322
1.0
∞
1.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'have a significant impact' is a metaphorical extension of the literal sense of covering much distance: if something 'goes a long way' it travels far, so figuratively it produces a large/effective result. This mapping is partially inferable but not fully predictable from 'long' + 'way', so a B1 learner might guess the sense in context but could also interpret it literally without prior exposure.
Etymology
A long way comes from the simple picture of distance: if something travels far, it reaches many places and can have a large effect. So, when we say a long way about help or skill, we mean it makes a big difference or 'helps a lot'.