wide

wide — adjective

1. Something that is wide measures a greater distance across from its left side to

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

Something that is wide measures a greater distance across from its left side to its right side than is typical for things of its kind.

Example

Tunde carried the wide wooden plank through the workshop door.

wide + noun (attributive use)

The old bridge was just wide enough for one small car to cross.

wide enough + for + noun

Common collocations
  • wide road
  • wide river
  • wide door
  • wide opening
  • wide gap
  • wide enough
Synonyms
  • broad

    more literary or formal; used for surfaces and body parts ('broad shoulders') more than for openings

  • spacious

    implies a large overall area, not just width

Antonyms
  • narrow

    opposite in physical dimension; much more common in everyday speech

Grammar Patterns

wide + noun

be + wide

Common Mistakes

The road is very width.
The road is very wide.
'width' is the noun form; 'wide' is the adjective.
She bought a width hat.
She bought a wide hat.
'width' is a noun, not an adjective.

2. Used after a number or in questions to say or find out how far apart the two edg

2.adjectiveA2
Definition

Used after a number or in questions to say or find out how far apart the two edges of something are.

Example

Mira measured the doorway to make sure the table was wide enough to fit through.

measurement + wide enough

Allison asked the builder how wide the opening was for the new kitchen window.

how wide + be + noun (question form)

Common collocations
  • metres wide
  • feet wide
  • inches wide
  • how wide
  • wide enough

Grammar Patterns

number + unit + wide

How wide + be + noun

Usage Note

Appears only after a measurement number ('three feet wide') or in questions ('How wide…?'). Cannot appear before a noun in this sense — 'a wide table' carries the SIDE-TO-SIDE meaning instead.

Common Mistakes

The table is 1.5 metres width.
The table is 1.5 metres wide.
use the adjective 'wide', not the noun 'width', after a measurement.

3. Taking in many different subjects, people, or situations; not focused on just on

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

Taking in many different subjects, people, or situations; not focused on just one type or area.

Example

Hao has a wide knowledge of Chinese history and traditional medicine.

wide + knowledge + of

The new supermarket offers a wide selection of fresh fruit and vegetables.

wide + selection + of + noun

Common collocations
  • wide range of
  • wide variety of
  • wide selection
  • wide experience
  • wide knowledge
  • wide support
  • wide appeal
Synonyms
  • broad

    very similar; 'broad' is slightly more abstract ('broad agreement'), while 'wide' is more concrete about the range

  • extensive

    suggests a large area or amount; more formal and stronger than 'wide'

  • comprehensive

    implies thoroughness and completeness; more formal and academic

Antonyms
  • limited

    restricted in scope or number

  • narrow

    suggests a small range; opposite of 'wide' in both physical and abstract senses

Grammar Patterns

wide + range/variety/selection + of

wide + experience/knowledge/support

Usage Note

Appears before nouns such as 'range', 'variety', 'choice', 'selection', 'experience', 'knowledge', 'support'. Not used alone as a predicate (*'The choice is wide' is uncommon — use 'wide' before the noun instead).

Common Mistakes

The store has wide range of products.
The store has a wide range of products.
'wide range' needs the article 'a' before it.
She has wide knowledges.
She has wide knowledge.
'knowledge' is uncountable and does not take a plural form.
Idioms

wide of the mark

idiom

Not accurate or correct; far from what is true or expected.

Theo's guess about the cost was wide of the mark by nearly two hundred dollars.

The journalist's report was wide of the mark and the newspaper had to apologise.

far and wide

idiom

Over a very large area; in or to many different places.

People travelled far and wide to see the cherry blossoms in the valley.

The news of the festival spread far and wide across the island.

give a wide berth

idiom

To stay away from someone or something; to avoid getting too close.

The hikers gave the sleeping bear a wide berth and took a different path.

Vivek gives a wide berth to any restaurant that has low hygiene scores.

give somebody/something a wide berth

idiom

To stay far away from someone or something in order to avoid them.

Mia gave the angry dog a wide berth during her walk.

Why did you give that topic a wide berth at the meeting?

wide — adverb

wide — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/3

All four words describe something that covers a lot, but they differ in nuance and typical use. 'Wide' is the most general and concrete, often describing a measurable range ('a wide selection of goods', 'wide support'). 'Broad' is slightly more abstract and literary; you say 'broad agreement' or 'broad outline' more naturally than 'wide agreement'. 'Extensive' suggests a large area or amount that has been physically covered or researched ('extensive experience', 'extensive damage'), and it is more formal than 'wide'. 'Comprehensive' implies thoroughness and completeness — it covers everything within a scope ('a comprehensive guide', 'comprehensive training'), which 'wide' and 'broad' do not guarantee. For everyday use, 'wide' fits most situations; choose 'comprehensive' when you want to stress that nothing is left out.

wide ↗broad ↗extensive ↗comprehensive ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • extremely wide
  • quite wide
  • fairly wide
  • surprisingly wide

Phrases

Prepositions

  • wide of
  • wide in

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'wide' comes from Old English 'wīd', meaning 'spacious, ample, far-reaching, extensive'. This traces back to Proto-Germanic '*wīdaz' and further to the Proto-Indo-European root '*wi-', meaning 'apart, in two'. The core idea of separation or distance between two sides has remained central to the word's meaning for over a thousand years. The cricket term 'wide' (a ball bowled out of the batsman's reach) dates from the early 19th century.