go so far as

verb

To reach an unexpected extent in doing something.

“Sure he's clever, but I wouldn't go so far as to call him a genius.”

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Meanings

verbgo so far as (third-person singular simple present goes so far as, present participle going so far as, simple past went so far as, past participle gone so far as)

present singular third person goes so far as · participle present going so far as · past went so far as · participle past gone so far as · alternative go as far as

  1. idiomaticTo reach an unexpected extent in doing something.

    Sure he's clever, but I wouldn't go so far as to call him a genius.

    2 more examples

    I know he suffered from depression, but surely he wouldn't go so far as to kill himself?

    Miss Rachel next door had Aunty over for coffee in the afternoons, and Mr. Nathan Radley went so far as to come up in the front yard and say he was glad to see her.

    1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 甚至, 至於 /至于
  • 甚至 (shènzhì)reach an unexpected extent in doing something
  • 至於 /至于 (zhìyú)reach an unexpected extent in doing something
Finnish mennä niin pitkälle, että
  • mennä niin pitkälle, ettäreach an unexpected extent in doing something
French à tant faire que de
  • à tant faire que dereach an unexpected extent in doing something
Cite this entry
APA

go so far as. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20so%20far%20as

MLA

“go so far as.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20so%20far%20as. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “go so far as,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/go%20so%20far%20as.

Source: go so far as on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.