spacious

spacious — adjective

1. A place that is spacious has a lot of room inside it, so you can move around wit

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

A place that is spacious has a lot of room inside it, so you can move around without feeling closed in.

Example

The living room was spacious enough for the whole family to watch films together.

collocation: spacious + room (living room / bedroom)

Lara chose the flat mainly because it had a spacious kitchen with plenty of counters.

collocation: spacious + kitchen

Common collocations
  • spacious living room
  • spacious kitchen
  • spacious bedroom
  • spacious apartment
  • spacious office
  • spacious garden
  • spacious balcony
  • spacious hall
  • feel spacious
  • look spacious
  • bright and spacious
  • clean and spacious
  • surprisingly spacious
Synonyms
  • roomy

    more natural for vehicles and smaller enclosed spaces; slightly less formal

  • ample

    suggests more than enough space; slightly more formal

  • expansive

    suggests a very wide, open feel; suits large halls or landscapes

  • commodious

    formal and somewhat old-fashioned; mainly British English

Antonyms
  • cramped

    uncomfortably small and crowded

  • confined

    limited in space; restrictive

  • compact

    small but efficiently arranged; not always negative

Grammar Patterns

spacious + noun (room, apartment, garden, etc.)

verb + spacious (feel, look, seem)

Usage Note

Most common with indoor areas (rooms, apartments, offices, halls). Can also describe outdoor spaces like gardens or balconies that feel generous in size. Less natural for vehicles — use 'roomy' instead.

Common Mistakes

The car is spacious.
The car is roomy.
'spacious' is unnatural for vehicles; use 'roomy' for cars, trains, and planes.
I have a spacious schedule today.
I have a free schedule today.
'spacious' describes physical space, not time.

Word family

  • spaciously
    adverbB2
  • spaciousness
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe an area with plenty of space, but they differ in use and tone. 'Room(y)' is the closest everyday alternative to 'spacious' and is more natural for vehicles ('a roomy car') and informal speech. 'Ample' stresses that there is more than enough space for a purpose ('ample storage space') and carries a slightly more formal tone. 'Expansive' suggests a very wide, open feel and is well suited to large halls, landscapes, or grand properties ('an expansive lawn'). 'Commodious' is the most formal and somewhat old-fashioned; it is mainly used in British English for rooms or buildings, often in estate-agent language ('a commodious Victorian house'). For everyday descriptions of homes, offices, and gardens, 'spacious' and 'roomy' are the safest choices.

roomyample ↗expansivecommodious

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • bright and spacious
  • clean and spacious
  • light and spacious
  • open and spacious

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Spacious comes from Latin 'spatiosus' meaning 'roomy, ample', which itself comes from 'spatium' meaning 'space or room'. The word entered English through Old French 'spacios' around the 14th century.