wide
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- broad, expansive, extensive, far-reaching, immense, large, sweeping, vast
- spacious, baggy, capacious, commodious, full, loose, roomy
- expanded, dilated, distended, outspread, outstretched
- distant, off course, off target, remote
[adverb]
Synonyms:
- fully, completely
- off target, astray, off course, off the mark, out

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. wide¹ S1 W1 /waɪd/ adjective
[Word Family: adverb: wide, widely; verb: widen; noun: width; adjective: wide]
[Language: Old English; Origin: wid]

1. DISTANCE
a) measuring a large distance from one side to the other Synonym : broad Antonym : narrow:
a wide tree-lined road
a hat with a wide brim
wide smile/grin
As he ran toward me, his face broke into a wide grin.
b) measuring a particular distance from one side to the other:
How wide is the door?
The boat was nearly as wide as the canal.
five metres/two miles etc wide
The river is more than fifty yards wide.

2. VARIETY [usually before noun] including or involving a large variety of different people, things, or situations:
a man with a wide experience of foreign affairs
Our aim is to bring classical music to a wider audience.
a wide range/variety/choice etc (of something)
This year’s festival includes a wide range of entertainers.
holidays to a wide choice of destinations

3. IN MANY PLACES [usually before noun] happening among many people or in many places:
The radio and newspapers gave the trial wide coverage.

4. a wide variation/difference/gap etc a large and noticeable difference:
the ever-wider gap between the richest and poorest countries

5. the wider context/issues/picture etc the more general features of a situation, rather than the specific details:
We hope that by the end of the course students will be able to see their subject in a wider context.

6. EYES literary wide eyes are fully open, especially when someone is very surprised, excited, or frightened:
Her eyes grew wide in anticipation.

7. give somebody/something a wide berth to avoid someone or something

8. NOT HIT SOMETHING not hitting something you were aiming at
wide of
His shot was just wide of the goal.

9. the (big) wide world especially spoken places outside the small familiar place where you live:
Soon you’ll leave school and go out into the big wide world.

10. nationwide/city-wide etc affecting all the people in a nation, city etc:
a country-wide revolt against the government

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. wide² W3 S3 adverb
[Word Family: adverb: wide, widely; verb: widen; noun: width; adjective: wide]

1. wide open/awake/apart completely open, awake, or apart:
Someone left the back door wide open.
At 2 a.m. I was still wide awake.
Sandy stood with his back to the fire, legs wide apart.

2. opening or spreading as much as possible
open/spread (something) wide
Spiro spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture.
Leonora’s eyes opened wide in horror.
The windows had been opened wide and she could feel a slight breeze.

3. wide open if a competition, election etc is wide open, it is possible for anyone to succeed:
Most experts agree that the election is wide open at this point.

4. not hitting something you were aiming at, and missing it by a large distance:
His throw to first base went wide.

5. wide of the mark
a) not correct about something, by a large amount:
The opinion polls were hopelessly wide of the mark.
b) not hitting something you were aiming at, and missing it by a large distance:
One of the bombs fell wide of the mark.
⇒ far and wide at far¹(11)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

wide
adj.
I. covering a large area or range
VERBS be, seem | become
ADV. enormously, exceptionally, extraordinarily, extremely, remarkably, unusually, very a very wide range of clothing
increasingly | fairly, quite, reasonably, relatively | sufficiently | surprisingly

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

wide
II. fully open
VERBS be | fling sth, open sth, spread sth He stood up and flung wide the door to the study. Open your mouth really wide. He spread his hands wide in appeal.
ADV. extremely, really, very
PREP. with Their eyes were wide with fear.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

wide
III. not close
VERBS be | shoot | fall, land
ADV. very | just
PREP. of Her shot fell just wide of the target.
PHRASES wide of the mark (figurative) (= not accurate) Their predictions turned out to be very wide of the mark.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

wide
adjective
BAD: My education has given me a wide view of life.
GOOD: My education has given me a broad view of life.
BAD: The magazine gives wide descriptions of market trends.
GOOD: The magazine gives broad descriptions of market trends.

Usage Note:
broad view/picture/description/outline (of sth) , NOT wide : 'Can you give me a broad outline of what the speech was about?'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

wide
waɪd
See: far and wide , give a wide berth

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲