What does 'far-out' mean? Is it an idiom meaning 'unconventional'?

[Kumi]

If somebody says;
"That's a far-out movie."
Does it mean "That's a fantastic movie."??

The word "far-out" is not clear to me.
In most cases it seems that this word means good or fantastic, but does it sometimes mean strange?

Could you please help me with this word?
Also, do we need a hyphen all the time? I sometimes come across this word without hyphens.

Thanks for your help in advance.

Kumi

[Torsten]

Hi Kumi,

Something 'far-out' is something very unconventional - so, depending on the context something that is 'far-out' can be 'strange' because it stands out, it is not what you would expect it to be.
It's always best to use examples to explain the meaning of a certain word or combination.
Yes, I think 'far-out' should be spelled with a hyphen otherwise it could mean something different such as '.... that house is far out in the mountains...'
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[Kumi]

Hi Torsten,

Thank you very much for your help.

It depends on context, so I have to judge the meaning by myself.....
In the case like this, it's hard for me to get the right meaning for the word.
Because to get the idea and meaning, I can't trust my dictionary all the time. Of course dictionaries help me a lot, but sometimes I have to trust my own judgement, which is very difficult.
(Do you understand what I'm trying to say? It's hard for me to explain.

Many thanks again for your great explanation for this word, Torsten.
You've been very helpful!!

Kumi

[teufelchen53]

Hi Kumi,

that is the same thing like me. There are so many different meaning of one word or the constellation of two words. I think for person who learns another language it is very difficult to understand the meaning all right every time.

But this forum is a very good place to ask other pupile about there meaning about some examples. It could help us to get a better feeling for the English language.

So, do not worry and try it all the time you can.

Best wishes
teufelchen53
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