having considerable or great extent from side to side; broad.
a wide boulevard.
having a certain or specified extent from side to side.
three feet wide.
of great horizontal extent; extensive; vast; spacious.
the wide plains of the West.
of great range or scope; embracing a great number or variety of subjects, cases, etc..
wide experience.
open to the full or a great extent; expanded; distended.
to stare with wide eyes.
apart or remote from a specified point or object.
a guess wide of the truth.
too far or too much to one side.
a shot wide of the mark.
Baseball. outside.
The pitch was wide of the plate.
full, ample, or roomy, as clothing.
He wore wide, flowing robes.
Phonetics. lax.
British Slang. shrewd; wary.
to the full extent of opening.
Open your mouth wide.
to the utmost, or fully.
to be wide awake.
away from or to one side of a point, mark, purpose, or the like; aside; astray.
The shot went wide.
over an extensive space or region, or far abroad.
scattered far and wide.
to a great, or relatively great, extent from side to side.
The river runs wide here.
Cricket. a bowled ball that goes wide of the wicket, and counts as a run for the side batting.
Archaic. a wide space or expanse.
having a great extent from side to side
of vast size or scope; spacious or extensive
(postpositive) having a specified extent, esp from side to side
two yards wide
(in combination) covering or extending throughout
nationwide
distant or remote from the desired point, mark, etc
your guess is wide of the mark
(of eyes) opened fully
loose, full, or roomy
wide trousers
exhibiting a considerable spread, as between certain limits
a wide variation
over an extensive area
to travel far and wide
to the full extent
he opened the door wide
far from the desired point, mark, etc
(in cricket) a bowled ball that is outside the batsman's reach and scores a run for the batting side
archaic a wide space or extent
completely
What does -wide mean? The combining form -wide is used like a suffix meaning “wide,” in the sense of "throughout" or "in or to every part of." It is occasionally used in everyday and technical terms. The form -wide comes from Old English wīd, meaning “wide.”
Wide, broad refer to dimensions. They are often interchangeable, but wide especially applies to things of which the length is much greater than the width: a wide road, piece of ribbon. Broad is more emphatic, and applies to things of considerable or great width, breadth, or extent, especially to surfaces extending laterally: a broad valley.
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English wīd; cognate with Dutch wijd, German weit, Old Norse vīthr
The word wide describes something that stretches across a great distance, like a smile that beams from ear to ear, or the open arms of a friend about to give you a big hug. Wide is an adjective that describes both physical spaces and ideas. A hallway with plenty of room for everyone to walk through can be called wide. If a dinner party has lots of different foods to pick from, you could say there’s a wide selection of dishes. A situation with many possible outcomes might have a wide range of results. Whether it's about space or variety, the word wide is all about having plenty of room.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But giving this absolute unit a wide berth has become more challenging as his viral fame grows, because humans keep crowding Neil, getting dangerously close and perhaps forgetting that he is a wild animal.
From Salon • Jul. 7, 2026
Much like his California manse, the property features a wide and open floor plan with enormous windows that fill the main living spaces with light—while vaulted ceilings help to create a truly expansive feel.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
“There’s a wide range of methods against opponents,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026
At the same time, he worried that Soto-Martínez’s proposal could in the short term divide Black and brown residents, who share a common struggle on a wide range of issues.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2026
They formed a lane that was just wide enough for us to get through.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
