- 1measuring a lot from one side to the other a wide river Sam has a wide mouth. a jacket with wide lapels Her face broke into a wide grin. opposite narrow
- 2measuring a particular distance from one side to the other How wide is that stream? It's about 2 yards wide. The road was just wide enough for two vehicles to pass. see width
- 3including a large number or variety of different people or things; covering a large area a wide range/choice/variety of goods Her music appeals to a wide audience. Jenny has a wide circle of friends. a manager with wide experience of industry It's the best job in the whole wide world. The incident has received wide coverage in the press. The festival attracts people from a wide area. difference/gap
- 4very big There are wide variations in prices. general
- 5(only used in the comparative and superlative) general; not only looking at details the wider aims of the project We are talking about education in its widest sense. eyes
- 6fully open She stared at him with wide eyes. not close
- 7wide (of something) far from the point aimed at Her shot was wide (of the target).
- 8(in adjectives and adverbs) happening or existing in the whole of a country, etc. a nationwide search We need to act on an industry-wide scale. Which Word?wide / broadThese adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns:
- Wide is the word most commonly used to talk about something that measures a long distance from one side to the other. Broad is more often used to talk about parts of the body (although wide can be used withmouth). It is used in more formal or written language to describe the features of the countryside, etc:a broad river a broad stretch of meadowland
- Both wide and broad can be used to describe something that includes a large variety of different people or things:a wide/broad range of products.Broad, but not wide, can be used to mean “general” or “not detailed”:All of us are in broad agreement on this matter.
from one side to the other
| wide ~ | broad ~ |
|---|---|
| street | shoulders |
| river | back |
| area | smile |
| range | range |
| variety | agreement |
| choice | outline |
to not go too near someone or something; to avoid someone or something He gave the dog a wide berth.
not accurate Their predictions turned out to be wide of the mark.
Check pronunciation: wide