I. wide 1 S1 W1 /waɪd/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: adverb : ↑ wide , ↑ widely ; verb : ↑ widen ; noun : ↑ width ; adjective : ↑ wide ]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: wid ]
1 . DISTANCE
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 brim
wide 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.
2 . VARIETY [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 destinations
3 . IN MANY PLACES [usually before noun] happening among many people or in many places:
The radio and newspapers gave the trial wide coverage.
4 . a wide variation/difference/gap etc a large and noticeable difference:
the ever-wider gap between the richest and poorest countries
5 . the 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.
6 . EYES literary wide eyes are fully open, especially when someone is very surprised, excited, or frightened:
Her eyes grew wide in anticipation.
7 . give somebody/something a wide berth to avoid someone or something
8 . NOT HIT SOMETHING not hitting something you were aiming at
wide of
His shot was just wide of the goal.
9 . the (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.
10 . nationwide/city-wide etc affecting all the people in a nation, city etc:
a country-wide revolt against the government
II. wide 2 W3 S3 BrE AmE adverb
[ Word Family: adverb : ↑ wide , ↑ widely ; verb : ↑ widen ; noun : ↑ width ; adjective : ↑ wide ]
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.
2 . opening or spreading as much as possible
open/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.
4 . not hitting something you were aiming at, and missing it by a large distance:
His throw to first base went wide.
5 . wide 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 ↑ far 1 (11)