wide
adjective/waɪd/
/waɪd/
(comparative wider, superlative widest)
Word Family
Idioms - wide adjective adverb
- widely adverb
- widen verb
- width noun
- measuring a large distance from one side to the other
- It's a wide, fast-flowing river.
- The river gets quite wide here.
- He wore a jacket with wide lapels.
- Her face broke into a wide grin.
Extra Examples- The road was fairly wide.
- Sam has a wide mouth.
- measuring a particular distance from one side to the other
- How wide is that stream?
- It's about 2 metres wide.
- The road was just wide enough for two vehicles to pass.
- The road was only wide enough for only one vehicle at a time.
- [usually before noun] including a large number or variety of different people or things; covering a large area
- a wide range/choice/variety/selection of goods
- The company offers a wide array of services to businesses.
- Her music appeals to a wide audience.
- It's the best job in the whole wide world.
- Experts believe the project could bring positive benefits to the wider community.
- The contributors to this volume represent a wide spectrum of opinion on the subject.
- Publication on the internet makes the material accessible to a wider public for the first time.
- He is a manager with a wide experience of industry.
- Jenny has a wide circle of friends.
- The incident has received wide coverage in the press.
- The festival attracts people from a wide area.
Extra Examples- We stock a wide range of goods.
- Try to develop a wide vocabulary.
- There is wide disagreement on this issue.
- The museum is trying to attract a wider audience.
- The young talent at the club deserves wider recognition.
- The general aim is for a wider distribution of wealth throughout society.
- The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.
- a very wide range of clothing
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- far and wide
- very big
- The Australians won by a wide margin.
- There are wide variations in prices.
- (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.
- You can't just look at it in terms of the immediate problem. You've got to see it in a wider context.
Which Word? wide / broadwide / broadThese adjectives are frequently used with the following nouns:wide ~ broad ~ street shoulders river back area smile range range variety agreement choice outline - 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 with mouth.) 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.
- All of us are in broad agreement on this matter.
- fully open
- She stared at him with wide eyes.
Extra Examples- His eyes grew wide.
- Their eyes were wide with fear.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- go
- grow
- …
- extremely
- really
- very
- …
- with
- wide (of something) far from the point aimed at
- Her shot was wide (of the target).
- Her shot fell just wide of the target.
- (in adjectives and adverbs) happening or existing in the whole of a country, etc.
- a nationwide search
- We need to act on a Europe-wide scale.
from one side to the other
large number/amount
difference/gap
general
eyes
not close
-wide
Word OriginOld English wīd ‘spacious, extensive’, wīde ‘over a large area’, of Germanic origin.
Idioms
See wide in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee wide in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishgive somebody/something a wide berth
- to not go too near somebody/something; to avoid somebody/something
- He gave the dog a wide berth.
wide of the mark
- not accurate
- Their predictions turned out to be wide of the mark.
Check pronunciation:
wide