wide-open

[ wahyd-oh-puhn ]

/ ˈwaɪdˈoʊ pən /

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See synonyms for wide-open on Thesaurus.com

adjective

opened to the full extent: a wide-open window.

lacking laws or strict enforcement of laws concerning liquor, vice, gambling, etc.: a wide-open town.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of wide-open

First recorded in 1850–55

Words nearby wide-open

widely, Wideman, widemouth blindcat, widemouthed, widen, wide-open, wide-ranging, wide receiver, wide-screen, widespread, wide-spreading

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wide-open in a sentence

Trying The Macallan for the first time cracked it wide open for me in terms of how special whisky could be.
A Whisky Connoisseur Remembers That First Sip of The Macallan||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was definitely an anti-closure ending, and if the character—and show—has life behind it, it leaves the door wide open.
Michael C. Hall on Going Drag for ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ and Exorcising ‘Dexter’|Marlow Stern|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As his “doors of perception” were being blown wide open, he found Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols.
The Buddhist Punk Reforming Drug Rehab|Stephen Krcmar|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Can you make it in a wide-open market in which consumers have loads of options?
Yes We Can Still Market: Why U.S. Brands Remain World’s Most Valuable|Daniel Gross|June 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The ball then swung to a wide-open Chris Bosh for a corner three that gave Miami the lead for good.
LeBron James Is a Better Leader Than Michael Jordan Ever Was|Robert Silverman|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A very brief exercise of Mr. Sikess art sufficed to overcome the fastening of the lattice, and it soon stood wide open also.
Oliver Twist, Vol. II (of 3)|Charles Dickens
The flap was wide open and any ordinary animal would have been out and away without the least trouble.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
Old Captain sat up on his haunches, his slantwise eyes wide open with wonder.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
The safe door was standing wide open, the interior cleanly empty.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
The baby lay on his back, his wide-open eyes looking upwards, good as gold.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood

British Dictionary definitions for wide-open

wide-open

adjective (wide open when postpositive)

open to the full extent

(postpositive) exposed to attack; vulnerable

uncertain as to outcome

US informal (of a town or city) lax in the enforcement of certain laws, esp those relating to the sale and consumption of alcohol, gambling, the control of vice, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with wide-open

wide open

Unresolved, unsettled, as in The fate of that former colony is still wide open. [Mid-1900s]

Unprotected or vulnerable, as in That remark about immigrants left him wide open to hostile criticism. This expression originated in boxing, where it signifies being off one's guard and open to an opponent's punches. It began to be used more broadly about 1940. Also see leave open.

wide-open

Origin of wide-open

Words nearby wide-open

Words related to wide-open

How to use wide-open in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wide-open

Other Idioms and Phrases with wide-open