wide1 adjectivewide2 adverb
widewide1 /waɪd/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 
WORD ORIGINwide1
Origin:
Old English widEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- wide experience in government and business
- a wide leather belt
- a wide necktie
- Coles gained wide publicity after predicting the earthquake.
- How wide is the door?
- The doorway wasn't quite wide enough to get the piano through.
- The girl led me down a wide corridor into a large office.
- The river is very wide.
- Wreckage was spread across a wide area.
- Also remarkable are the paintings, geometrically designed rooms and wide variety of nearly 200-year-old china and silver.
- Far ahead he could see a sloping ramp that led up to a wide mouth gaping into a busy street.
- His campaign never caught on with a wide spectrum of the electorate.
- Simply ideal for families it has direct access on to the beach and offers a wide range of holiday activities for children.
- Table 3. 2 provides individual estimate for gaseous coal seams with the geometric mean used wherever a wide spread is given.
Longman Language Activatora long distance from one side to another
if a road, river, space, object etc is wide , there is a large distance between one side of it and the other: · The girl led me down a wide corridor into a large office.· The doorway wasn't quite wide enough to get the piano through.· a wide leather belt
written wide - use this especially to describe roads, paths, or parts of someone's body: · We drove down the broad tree-lined avenue.· He was six feet tall with broad shoulders and strong arms.
how wide something is use this to ask or talk about how wide something is: · How wide is the main hall?· I'm not sure how wide the window is.
use this to say exactly how wide something is: · The river is over a mile wide here.· Cut a strip of paper 3cm wide.
use this to say exactly how wide something is: · a narrow opening only a few metres across
how wide something is: · Carpets are available in several different widths.width of: · The huge vehicle took up the whole width of the road.· Can you just measure the width of the door?
to become wider · The river starts to get wider at Lyon.· The gap between the boat and the pier was getting wider and wider.· The path gradually became wider as we came down off the mountain.
to become wider - use this especially in written descriptions of places: · The road widened again when we came out of the tunnel.· From Horton, the valley widens, becoming broader and more expansive.
to make something wider · I think we'll have to make the door a bit wider so that wheelchairs can get through.· Why don't you make the table wider?
to make something such as a road wider, especially in a deliberately planned way: · A lot of local residents are against council plans to widen the road.· Later the tunnel was widened to accommodate larger vehicles.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
As he ran toward me, his face broke into a wide grin. The river is more than fifty yards wide. This year’s festival includes a wide range of entertainers. holidays to a wide choice of destinationsCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES There was a vast array of colours to choose from. a wide assortment of friends a fine-bore tube the vast expanse of the ocean People came from far and wide (=came from many places) to see the concert. Schemes of this kind enjoyed success only on a limited front. All the windows were wide open (=completely open). He was fast asleep with his mouth wide open. The men’s race appears wide open (=anyone could win it). They are hoping that the paper will have quite a wide readership. a wide repertoire of songs a broad spectrum of environmental groups We have a good spread of ages in the department. a broad spread of investments the wide sweep of lawn
As he ran toward me, his face broke into a wide grin. The river is more than fifty yards wide. This year’s festival includes a wide range of entertainers. holidays to a wide choice of destinations· The town is spread out over a wide area.
· Parts of the plane were scattered over a wide area.
There was a vast array of colours to choose from. a wide assortment of friends· an author who commands a wide audience
(=completely awake)· I'm never wide awake until I've had a cup of coffee.
· Along the coast is a wide belt of sand dunes.
(=that changes direction slightly or gradually)· Ahead of us there was a wide bend in the river.
a fine-bore tube· They now had a wide circle of acquaintances in the area.
(=the community of which a small group is a part)· The sports centre is available to both the university and the wider community.
(=involving a lot of people, groups etc)· Strong recommendations were made after wide consultation.
(=a more general situation, set of events etc)· It’s important to look at the story in the wider context of medieval Spain.
· Newspapers and magazines have wide coverage of diet and health topics.
(=involving a wide range of different types of subjects)· The school provides a broad curriculum with a rich choice of learning opportunities.
(=involving more people or a more general discussion)· We believe that there should be a wider debate on such an important issue.
· There was a wide entrance at the front of the building.
the vast expanse of the ocean· The children gazed at the screen, their eyes wide with excitement.
(=wide apart)· Claudette studied the wide-set eyes that looked so innocent.
People came from far and wide (=came from many places) to see the concert. Schemes of this kind enjoyed success only on a limited front.· There’s a big gap between the two test scores.
· ‘It was great!’ she shouted, with a wide grin.
(=affecting more people or society in general)· What are the wider implications of this change in the law?
(=more general issues, that affect more people or things)· This is a question that raises much wider issues.
· The margin should be wider.
· He had a big nose and a big mouth.· Billy’s wide mouth stretched into a grin.
All the windows were wide open (=completely open). He was fast asleep with his mouth wide open. The men’s race appears wide open (=anyone could win it).· Education should give students a wider outlook on life.
· Searching through a variety of sources will give them a wider perspective on their subject.
(=with a lot of people, or in many places)· Astrology enjoyed widespread popularity.
· The scandal had received widespread publicity.
· The Institute organises talks on a wide range of topics.
They are hoping that the paper will have quite a wide readership.· She deserves wider recognition.
a wide repertoire of songs· He is currently conducting a wide-ranging review of public spending.
· We crossed the wide River Rhone the following morning.
· The museum shop offers a wide selection of items.
· He was of medium height, with broad shoulders.
· The research dealt with one small group, but their conclusions are of much wider significance.
(=when you are very happy)· She had a big smile on her face.
(=used when comparing a small group of people to society as a whole)· The poor are part of the larger society, and programs must be there to help them.
a broad spectrum of environmental groups We have a good spread of ages in the department. a broad spread of investments· There is widespread support for the Government’s proposal.
the wide sweep of lawn· the global trend towards intensive farming
· We looked down on the wide valley below.
· They hold debates on a wide variety of topics.
· She has a very wide vocabulary.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· During this same period a far wider survey had been undertaken of all the fifty-nine party cells in the Poltava guberniia.· But they ignored the unthinking acceptance that Jeffries enjoyed among a far wider circle of students.· Some, such as strategic planning or transportation, require far wider areas than others, such as housing or the Personal social services.· So an illustration may offer far wider possibilities for the art director to achieve special effects and a distinctive style.· But his indictment for his role in a series of crimes against his people has far wider repercussions.· It intends to run far wider trials over the next three years.· The range of creatures it contains is far wider than that found in rocks of a similar age at any other site.· Our critical strategies can range far wider, and in doing so can take on a general character.
· The civil division of the Court of Appeal enjoys much wider powers to order a retrial than the criminal division.· Rights of audience before tribunals are much wider as noted in chapters 12 and 13.· I spoke about the much wider use of timetable motions.· Pre-packed bulbs come in a much wider range of varieties but tend to be more expensive.· This would prevent questionable findings influencing a much wider readership.· The Bauer/southern Slav position on the national question, however, spread much wider than the Bund.· Also, the range of participants is much wider than in the traditional market.· This chordal range is much wider than many students tend to use.
· Be truthful Maggie - is 29 years too wide a gap to bridge?· Was I too wide in the rear for his taste?· And even in the forest there are ditches as deep as a man, and too wide to leap.· On reflection, I think we made the nitrogen bands rather too wide.· Vocabulary: too wide - too long - through inside - outside - next to - on top of - underneath.· The generation gap here was too wide.· Whose Tongues are for a Week supply'd From one poor Mouth that's stretch'd too wide.
· This is a very wide claim and one which potentially includes questions concerning the relationships between women, power and politics.· I had some very wide eyes.· The ventral arm plates are pentagonal nearly triangular with a very wide distal edge; the distal edge may project slightly midradially.· From meteor studies we know that cometary meteors break up over a very wide range of dynamic pressures during atmospheric entry.· On reading: I have very wide tastes.· The families of a nation have an enormous collective purchasing power over a very wide range of products and services.· We have a very wide press in this country, and we count that as one of our freedoms.· Her complexion was pink and white and her eyes were very wide and of an astonishingly china blue hue.
NOUN· After its first year it had the widest appeal of any soap opera.· Treasury officials expect the securities to have wide appeal to investors, including individuals, pension funds and insurance companies.· Power requires a wider appeal than that to mere sectional interest.· The emphasis will continue to be on prod-ucts that gain the widest appeal and most acceptance within this group.· Some of the approaches described below may have wider appeal to your values than others.· In trying to craft a document with wide appeal, the drafters produced a softer tone.· These types of music also have the advantage of a much wider appeal than jazz, a mainly middle-aged, middle-class interest.· They have an enormously wide appeal.
· The small units based upon traditional settlements or rural areas were to be replaced by wider areas with larger populations.· That would make decoys irrelevant, because the explosion would take out warhead and decoys alike over a wide area.· The competitors are now drawn from a wide area and it has become sport orientated.· Their secret lies in their enormously elongated toes, which spread their weight over a wide area of lily leaf.· Wendy says that slowly but surely our name is taking hold in this wide area.· The wide area covered by the enquiries was amazing.· He says having been there, the crash isn't over such a wide area as we thought at first.· They also destroyed roads, power lines, and sugar and cotton mills over a wide area.
· Clearly no government can legislate for such a wide array of circumstances, let alone attempt to enforce such legislation.· Constant mulling had left Father Vic afflicted with a wide array of nervous tics, small flinches and exasperated sighs.· The wide array of central controls has necessarily created tension between central government and local councillors.· Now the gluttonous diner has a wide array of eateries from which to choose.· There was a lively trade in most of the decorations and the wide array of aeronautica offered.· Despite historical predictions to the contrary, we remain vulnerable to a wide array of new and resurgent infectious diseases.· The book includes a wide array of misguided movie reviews.· But defenses, especially weapons, now offered a wider array of choices.
· Curtis, who rates an above-average 32, seems like the better choice to appeal to a wider audience.· The series of four concerts aims to bring classical music to a wider audience, although the tickets aren't cheap.· There is a chance his Christmas music will find an even wider audience.· Dave Thomas, spokesman for the band, said it was a good opportunity for the band to reach a wider audience.· Businesses and publications are leaving on-line services for the Internet as a way to reach a wider audience.· Through these channels the contemplative ideals developed in monastic communities found a wider audience.· This book therefore sets out to win over a much wider audience to the beauty and importance of ferns and their allies.
· Now motorists are threatening to give Shell pumps a wide berth.· The chil-dren sensed his tension and gave him a wide berth.· And villagers walking past gave the gathering a wide berth, and spat in disgust with disparaging comments.· People shuffle past, giving us a wide berth.· Ssamois with polenta the centrepiece of the Menu Gastronomico Valdostano, so I gave that a wide berth.· His father was taking a wide berth around the Sisters, wider than Ezra decided he might have done.· We gave the crashing waves off Rubha Dubh Tighary a wide berth as the force 5 picked up from behind.· Sandie gives her a wide berth.
· Each provides a wide choice of sailing and non-sailing activities.· Nottinghamshire is proud to offer its thousands of guests the highest standards and widest choice of accommodation.· In the following exercises the situation is known, but there is a very wide choice of subject.· The Brewhouse Theatre offers year-round entertainment and a wide choice of restaurants make your mouth water.· Public rooms include a lounge, two bars, and restaurant offering a wide choice of carefully prepared food.· There is a buffet breakfast and a wide choice of main courses at dinner, plus a salad buffet.· Mature students will enjoy a wider choice of courses.· Today over 200 stalls offer a wide choice of merchandise.
· And the wider community is denied the opportunity to deal with the issue compassionately.· The belief that the handbook is scientifically grounded does not remain confined to its authors but spreads to the wider community.· I think of this with particular reference to the local community and the wider community.· In turn the profession would articulate philosophy and justify efforts and achievements with confidence to the wider community.· The application to the wider community brings us to the purpose of our gathering in this place dedicated to unity.· And to catch out those in the financial and wider communities who encouraged them to do so.· I've also used my web site to make a number of resources available for the wider community.· Many industrial activities impose external effects, usually detrimental ones, on the wider community.
· In a wider context a quantity of labour will be forced into the sectors of the economy where there is less rigidity.· It adds up to a picture of a man in a wider context that just as a fighter pilot.· All organisations exist within some wider context and we would expect an organisation's culture to reflect this.· The change depended upon changes in the wider context of controversy, which provoked the development of formerly implicit attitudinal aspects.· And they Learn how to place their learning in a wider context.· Such arrangements have to be seen in a wider context.· The emphatic assertion of individual control over health exerted in some of these accounts can be looked at in a wider context.
· Without major oil and gas discoveries, there will be a wide gap between demand and supply.· The senator faced an especially wide gap among voters younger than 30 and older than 60.· He came to a wide gap which had been trodden into mud by cattle.· But there is, indeed, still a wide gap in the use of flexibility.· He kept up the pressure with his shoulder to give himself the widest gap possible.· But when the national polls are a wide gap, the country is pretty likely to follow.· Philip Edwards is believed to have suffocated when the 14-inch wide gap caved in.· The offshore wind was coming hard as usual through the wide gap between the warehouses on the Surrey side.
· The action is likely to have wide implications.· Again, the seemingly trivial was to have wide implications.· Rakovsky forced himself to be calm, to consider the wider implications.· But this development has wider implications.· Even so, Sir Matthew admitted that the wider implications of the weak housing market on the industry were hard to quantify.· Finally, we will address the wider implications of our reflections on the research process.· Churchill himself was interested not only in this but also in the wider implications of nuclear developments in the 1950s.· The Central Committee was already considering the wider implications of the Unity Campaign.
· It is clear, however, that Beveridge paid scant attention to these wider issues.· This point raises a wider issue of some importance to the evaluation of Rawls' procedure.· But from where I stand, it is the wider issue of transparency that really counts.· But wider issues are at stake.· The second innovation is more interesting and raises wider issues.· The wider issue at stake is the philosophy behind Labor's current problems: the corporatist approach to government.· It also relates to much wider issues such as the abuse of monopoly power, exploitation and poverty.· For him, critical writing has to take up wider issues than enjoyment of a picture or a sculpture.
· Each volume is beautifully produced, on thick paper with wide margins and a general air of elegance.· But voters are preferring other candidates to Gramm by wide margins.· This beats even the great Bobby Fischer by a wide margin.· The initiative passed by a wide margin, but initial court rulings have enjoined its enforcement.· It allows for artists and historians to explore in the wider margins works and strategies neglected or dismissed by modernism.· So far, its return has outpaced the Gfund and Ffunds by a wide margin.· Articles for the press should be written with double spacing and wide margins.· Leave wide margins on both sides of each page.
· She, that person, had a wide mouth, with plump lips, like cushions.· The cauldron was lying on the floor, its wide mouth gaping at her like a cannon.· Far ahead he could see a sloping ramp that led up to a wide mouth gaping into a busy street.· They were particularly striking set in his narrow face with its wide mouth.· He looked at her wide mouth, the full lips that kissed him so often and so lusciously.· When she smiled, her wide mouth pushed her cheeks into a series of tiny wrinkles like those in crepe paper.· Her wide mouth, emphasized with her scarlet lipstick, parted in a glowing smile.· The wide mouth of Yell Sound, leading to Sullom Voe opened up to port.
· The race is now wide open.· There, my own history cracked wide open.· The snap showed Jennifer with eyes closed and mouth wide open.· Leave the window wide open in winter; turn off the airconditioning in summer.· Turning the corner into Polly's road, Jack noticed suddenly that the door to her house was wide open.· The champ took a dive, hit the deck, and split wide Open.· His eyes were wide open, but he was, apparently, dead.· I will say this only once and I hope your cars are wide open.
· This is a far wider range of goods and services than those covered in the Retail Price Index.· The program Chip was running included counselors and tutors and provided a wide range of services.· A wide range of music is studied from the Middle Ages to Beethoven.· Vefa claims a wide range of lavish holdings, such as a shipping line and distilleries.· For instance, personality variations account for the wide range of reactions towards a salesperson.· Because there is such a wide range of substances there are many ways they can be misused.· Clearly artists working in several media have a wide range of references.· Wonderful shows and wide range of general entertainments and attractions.
· Provide a wide selection, making sure there are lots of different colours, flavours and textures.· To see a video, consumers would pick one from a wide selection and would be billed later.· Mrs Massey has a wide selection of machines and is very involved with machine knitting in Nottingham.· Most art shops offer a wide selection of mounting card in a variety of colours and thicknesses.· A wide selection of cars are available, and all manufacturers try to include a range to suit varying disabilities.· Dietary fibre is provided by a wide selection of easily available and palatable foods.· Epicure has a wide selection, from fruits and nuts to preserve and biscuits.
· Political action in its widest sense will determine which we make a reality.· Government in the widest sense, including our masters in Brussels.· It is always difficult to know whether one's perceptions of success constitute progress in a wider sense.· Cost is used here in its widest sense involving payment of fees, loss of earnings, loss of time and so on.· It is for this reason that in this book I ordinarily use kinship in its wider sense.· Accountability, in its widest sense refers to the responsibility for your actions to some one else.· This acceptance of medical treatment in its widest sense is subject to the requirement not to accept transfusions of blood or blood derivatives.
· Paul looked surprised to receive a wide smile of welcome from Stephen when he entered the office.· Then she smiled the wide smile which lifted her ears toward her hair.· Mandru was staring right at him, a wide smile stretching his face into ropes of muscle.· The guy laughed, wide smile dotted with gold teeth.· He breaks into a wide smile, and a dried bogie snowflakes from his nose down to the ground.· He put the receiver back and created, forcing his lips to perform, a wide smile.· He paused to speak to the surprised group and their wide smiles of acknowledgement started the day off well.· She has a flat, round face with eyes close together and a wide smile.
· My daily Radio Column covered a wide spectrum of programme interests, a large part of which was concerned with local broadcasts.· His campaign never caught on with a wide spectrum of the electorate.· Never before has such a wide spectrum of organisations made such a call.· His benign middle-class credentials were supposed to attract a wide spectrum of supporters, but he was merely a figurehead.· Transend are continually looking for shareware that spans a wide spectrum.· Their leaders covered a wide spectrum.· Part of that has to do with the wider spectrum of entertainment competing for our attention.
· Solids exhibit a wide variation in rigidity.· Not surprisingly, the studies of caffeine tolerance and withdrawal have found wide variations in subject responses.· That's the national picture; but between farms and regions there's wide variation in yield.· But there is wide variation among Internet providers in cost, features, software, reliability and customer service.· Several authors have described wide variations in the number of night visits, which have proved difficult to explain.· There was wide variation in the students' responses.· The second column also shows that there is a wide variation between regions in the proportion of exports to foreign debt.· The standards could accommodate a reasonably wide variation.
· In fact the anti-gold mining struggle has shown an ability to utilize a wide variety of cultural weapons in its campaign.· Houseswapping, once mainly the province of teachers on extended leaves, now attracts a wide variety of travelers.· It opens up opportunities to supply a wide variety of users with information which is timely, accurate, significant and relevant.· This is happening on several continents and involves a wide variety of disciplines.· The companies which make up the P&O Group operate in a wide variety of fields on a world-wide basis.· Already, a wide variety of borrowers, from top-rated Merck&.· The alternatives are designed to cater for a wide variety of abilities in S5.· In addition, there is a wide variety of ships smaller in scale and more intimate.
· And if it was not, what in the wide world was it?· And his very best friend in the whole wide world is a rabbit.· Hardly anybody in the big wide world has heard of us, let alone been influenced by our lives.· We could certainly be a stronger presence in the wider world.· He knows little about economics or the wider world.· All of these abilities equip children to move out from their families and into the wider world.· It stands for a fastidious aesthetic sense of something having turned out wrong in the wide world.· Many children of leading ministers took advantage of the wider world their fathers' success had opened for them.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► nationwide/city-wide etcPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a broader/wider/larger canvas► off the mark/wide of the mark► deep-set/wide-set/close-set eyes
- Sandie's been giving her a wide berth since the argument.
- A marabou stork was poking about nearby in a pile of rubbish, and I gave it a wide berth.
- Besides, in most vacation areas the locals learn to give a wide berth to tourists in their rented land yachts.
- Passers-by gave her a wide berth.
- People shuffle past, giving us a wide berth.
- Sandie gives her a wide berth.
- She saw him coming and intended to give him a wide berth.
- Ssamois with polenta the centrepiece of the Menu Gastronomico Valdostano, so I gave that a wide berth.
- The chil-dren sensed his tension and gave him a wide berth.
- Filipe is not alone in the wider world, where 13m children are displaced within their own countries.
- Hardly anybody in the big wide world has heard of us, let alone been influenced by our lives.
- He knows little about economics or the wider world.
- In other words we want to help local enthusiasts to keep in touch with what is happening in the wider world of railways.
- Many children of leading ministers took advantage of the wider world their fathers' success had opened for them.
- We could certainly be a stronger presence in the wider world.
- Wealth and power go hand in hand, at home too, as well as in the big wide world.
- But there is, indeed, still a wide gap in the use of flexibility.
- But when the national polls are a wide gap, the country is pretty likely to follow.
- Just as there may be a wide variation in the inputs, so may the outputs vary.
- Solids exhibit a wide variation in rigidity.
- The second column also shows that there is a wide variation between regions in the proportion of exports to foreign debt.
- There is a wide difference between promise and performance.
- Waiting time by specialty is meaningless as it conceals a wide variation among consultants' clinics.
- Within the general waste type shown in these figures exists a wide variation.
- As ever, context is important, particularly the wider context of New Testament teaching.
- Both require standing back from the day-to-day running of the organisation and examining the wider picture.
- It is now necessary to situate these in the wider context of the social formation and in particular class structure.
- More broadly, it was placed in the wider context of the continuing ambitions of central government to control local independence.
- That fact must be put in the wider context.
- The change depended upon changes in the wider context of controversy, which provoked the development of formerly implicit attitudinal aspects.
- We would expect leaders at all levels to be aware of the wider context of their work.
- What interpretations of the wider issues should it consider?
- I cast my net wide enough to find parents who vary from house cleaner to fashion designer to electrician to corporate manager.
- We cast our net wider and in a different direction.
- A topic like this resonates far and wide.
- And Jaq would spread the hydra far and wide.
- Class embers came from far and wide - a dedicated crew.
- Her torso shattered, showering live embers far and wide.
- Northampton was another elegant county town and regional market centre and was known far and wide for its horse fairs.
- Prosperity came to Knock, as pilgrims came from far and wide; and Father Cavanagh kept his ears.
- The-billowing smoke of the bonfire swirled those fragments far and wide over the earth.
- We had flung ourselves to the wind, and it had taken us far and wide.
- Furse spread his net wide, but it did not sink deep.
- I cast my net wide enough to find parents who vary from house cleaner to fashion designer to electrician to corporate manager.
- It was argued in Chapter 2 that the criminal law ought to spread its net wider where the potential harm is greater.
- Later that afternoon the police, who had been diligently searching certain caravans on Turpin's Field, spread their net wider.
- We cast our net wider and in a different direction.
- You're my best friend in the whole wide world!
- A toast to Bernie-the worst stockbroker in the whole world!
- All current affairs in the whole world of lamentable war and strife needed to be weighed in this balance.
- And his very best friend in the whole wide world is a rabbit.
- I am not responsible for all the smuggling in the whole world.
- I thought it was the most beautiful spot in the whole world.
- There may be more bacteria in and on you as you read this than there are human beings in the whole world.
- There must be one woman in the whole world to whom he could tell the truth.
- You are my favourite person in the whole world.
WORD FAMILYadverbwidewidelynounwidthadjectivewideverbwiden
1distance a)measuring a large distance from one side to the other SYN broad OPP narrow: a wide tree-lined road a hat with a wide brimwide 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.2variety [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 destinations3in many places [usually before noun] happening among many people or in many places: The radio and newspapers gave the trial wide coverage.4a wide variation/difference/gap etc a large and noticeable difference: the ever-wider gap between the richest and poorest countries5the 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.6eyes literary wide eyes are fully open, especially when someone is very surprised, excited, or frightened: Her eyes grew wide in anticipation.7give somebody/something a wide berth to avoid someone or something8not hit something not hitting something you were aiming atwide of His shot was just wide of the goal.9the (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.10nationwide/city-wide etc affecting all the people in a nation, city etc: a country-wide revolt against the governmentwide1 adjectivewide2 adverb
widewide2 ●●● W3 S3 adverb EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Wilton hit the ball high and wide.
- From a tap penalty the forwards drove in short bursts, and then took the ball wide to Joe Roff.
- Gabriel had the window wide open and was standing there looking down at him.
- Miles and Evan are so wide awake, it is exhausting.
- Sisson hooked the kick wide left.
- The championship race is wide open.
- The driver swung wide around my car and paused, apparently activating an automatic garage door.
- The night being unseasonably warm, most of the windows were wide open.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY 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. His throw to first base went wide.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES There was a vast array of colours to choose from. a wide assortment of friends a fine-bore tube the vast expanse of the ocean People came from far and wide (=came from many places) to see the concert. Schemes of this kind enjoyed success only on a limited front. All the windows were wide open (=completely open). He was fast asleep with his mouth wide open. The men’s race appears wide open (=anyone could win it). They are hoping that the paper will have quite a wide readership. a wide repertoire of songs a broad spectrum of environmental groups We have a good spread of ages in the department. a broad spread of investments the wide sweep of lawn
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. His throw to first base went wide.· The town is spread out over a wide area.
· Parts of the plane were scattered over a wide area.
There was a vast array of colours to choose from. a wide assortment of friends· an author who commands a wide audience
(=completely awake)· I'm never wide awake until I've had a cup of coffee.
· Along the coast is a wide belt of sand dunes.
(=that changes direction slightly or gradually)· Ahead of us there was a wide bend in the river.
a fine-bore tube· They now had a wide circle of acquaintances in the area.
(=the community of which a small group is a part)· The sports centre is available to both the university and the wider community.
(=involving a lot of people, groups etc)· Strong recommendations were made after wide consultation.
(=a more general situation, set of events etc)· It’s important to look at the story in the wider context of medieval Spain.
· Newspapers and magazines have wide coverage of diet and health topics.
(=involving a wide range of different types of subjects)· The school provides a broad curriculum with a rich choice of learning opportunities.
(=involving more people or a more general discussion)· We believe that there should be a wider debate on such an important issue.
· There was a wide entrance at the front of the building.
the vast expanse of the ocean· The children gazed at the screen, their eyes wide with excitement.
(=wide apart)· Claudette studied the wide-set eyes that looked so innocent.
People came from far and wide (=came from many places) to see the concert. Schemes of this kind enjoyed success only on a limited front.· There’s a big gap between the two test scores.
· ‘It was great!’ she shouted, with a wide grin.
(=affecting more people or society in general)· What are the wider implications of this change in the law?
(=more general issues, that affect more people or things)· This is a question that raises much wider issues.
· The margin should be wider.
· He had a big nose and a big mouth.· Billy’s wide mouth stretched into a grin.
All the windows were wide open (=completely open). He was fast asleep with his mouth wide open. The men’s race appears wide open (=anyone could win it).· Education should give students a wider outlook on life.
· Searching through a variety of sources will give them a wider perspective on their subject.
(=with a lot of people, or in many places)· Astrology enjoyed widespread popularity.
· The scandal had received widespread publicity.
· The Institute organises talks on a wide range of topics.
They are hoping that the paper will have quite a wide readership.· She deserves wider recognition.
a wide repertoire of songs· He is currently conducting a wide-ranging review of public spending.
· We crossed the wide River Rhone the following morning.
· The museum shop offers a wide selection of items.
· He was of medium height, with broad shoulders.
· The research dealt with one small group, but their conclusions are of much wider significance.
(=when you are very happy)· She had a big smile on her face.
(=used when comparing a small group of people to society as a whole)· The poor are part of the larger society, and programs must be there to help them.
a broad spectrum of environmental groups We have a good spread of ages in the department. a broad spread of investments· There is widespread support for the Government’s proposal.
the wide sweep of lawn· the global trend towards intensive farming
· We looked down on the wide valley below.
· They hold debates on a wide variety of topics.
· She has a very wide vocabulary.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· In an instant Fabia was wide awake and, with a drumming heart, she put on the light.· As the train slid slowly into Asansol station, Brother Mariadas, suddenly wide awake, shook me out of my reverie.· The hedgehog caper had somehow affected his pattern of sleep and he was wide awake at six, with nowhere to go.· After an hour, though still wide awake, I crimped the page and turned off the light.· Bright green lizards were scuttling over a clump of tree-roots twice as tall as Alan, and he was wide awake.· Miles and Evan are so wide awake, it is exhausting.· When he came to bed, hours later it seemed, she was wide awake.· Jack was wide awake, in his red silk pajamas and red silk robe.
· Got to do this with our eyes wide open.· It leaves them wide open for dismissal by anybody with a basic knowledge of debating tactics.· He would lie there quietly, eyes wide open, taking from her skin what he needed.· As I drew level with the two vehicles I saw that Carla's front door was wide open.· By building a computerized society, the United States has left itself wide open to electronic attack.· Antoinette's eyes flew wide open, like a doll's.· This was the moment when she elected him, with her eyes and her heart wide open, knowing what she did.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a broader/wider/larger canvas► off the mark/wide of the mark► deep-set/wide-set/close-set eyes
- He sat with his legs wide apart.
- It was 3 a.m., but I was wide awake.
- The door was wide open when we got here.
- After an hour, though still wide awake, I crimped the page and turned off the light.
- But from what I gathered at the arts fair, the field is pretty wide open.
- My big worry is that the Monster will come wide awake and ruin things with its gross demands.
- The doors of the Conch cafe were wide open with no sign of Huong or Anna; they had probably evacuated.
- The main door stood wide open making a through draught.
- These are still very early days and the options are wide open.
- They were certainly the first means of crossing wide open spaces that are still vast and untamed, even today.
- Turning the corner into Polly's road, Jack noticed suddenly that the door to her house was wide open.
- After the stale fug in the tiny cabin, she gulped down the clean sea air, the car window wide open.
- His eyes seemed darker blue and more wide open than usual.
- Leave the window wide open in winter; turn off the airconditioning in summer.
- Some of the villa front doors were wide open to him.
- The snap showed Jennifer with eyes closed and mouth wide open.
- Their eyes are wide open as they pass the object round.
- When I came into the hall, his eyes were wide open, staring straight at me.
- Another is that the view of October as the product of a truly mass-revolutionary movement is not so wide of the mark.
- Few forecasts have been so wide of the mark.
- Housing committee chairman Bill Dixon said Coun Richmond was wide of the mark and each property would only cost £30,000.
- In answer to this, there are cases in which the notion of force feeding is very wide of the mark.
- Jean Powers was not so wide of the mark.
- No, Watson, that is well wide of the mark even for you.
- The report offers no explanation for our figures being wide of the mark.
- I cast my net wide enough to find parents who vary from house cleaner to fashion designer to electrician to corporate manager.
- We cast our net wider and in a different direction.
- A topic like this resonates far and wide.
- And Jaq would spread the hydra far and wide.
- Class embers came from far and wide - a dedicated crew.
- Her torso shattered, showering live embers far and wide.
- Northampton was another elegant county town and regional market centre and was known far and wide for its horse fairs.
- Prosperity came to Knock, as pilgrims came from far and wide; and Father Cavanagh kept his ears.
- The-billowing smoke of the bonfire swirled those fragments far and wide over the earth.
- We had flung ourselves to the wind, and it had taken us far and wide.
- Furse spread his net wide, but it did not sink deep.
- I cast my net wide enough to find parents who vary from house cleaner to fashion designer to electrician to corporate manager.
- It was argued in Chapter 2 that the criminal law ought to spread its net wider where the potential harm is greater.
- Later that afternoon the police, who had been diligently searching certain caravans on Turpin's Field, spread their net wider.
- We cast our net wider and in a different direction.
- You're my best friend in the whole wide world!
- A toast to Bernie-the worst stockbroker in the whole world!
- All current affairs in the whole world of lamentable war and strife needed to be weighed in this balance.
- And his very best friend in the whole wide world is a rabbit.
- I am not responsible for all the smuggling in the whole world.
- I thought it was the most beautiful spot in the whole world.
- There may be more bacteria in and on you as you read this than there are human beings in the whole world.
- There must be one woman in the whole world to whom he could tell the truth.
- You are my favourite person in the whole world.
WORD FAMILYadverbwidewidelynounwidthadjectivewideverbwiden
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.2opening or spreading as much as possibleopen/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.4not hitting something you were aiming at, and missing it by a large distance: His throw to first base went wide.5wide 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)