WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
wide•ly
(wīd′lē),USA pronunciation adv.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- to a wide extent.
- over a wide space or area:a widely distributed plant.
- by or among a large number of persons:a widely known artist.
- in many or various subjects, cases, etc.:to be widely read.
- greatly, very much, or very:widely differing accounts of an event.
- wide + -ly 1655–65
wide /waɪd/USA pronunciation
adj. andadv., wid•er, wid•est.
adj.
adv.
wide•ness, n. [uncountable]
-wide, suffix.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026adj.
- of great size or extent from side to side;
broad:the great wide lands of the prairie. - having a certain measurement from side to side: [after a noun]The doorway was only three feet wide.[before a noun* after a number of measurement]a three-foot-wide doorway.
- of great range or scope:a wide selection of recordings.
- fully opened:He stared at the teacher with wide eyes.
- far from an aim or goal:[usually: be + ~]That remark is wide of the truth.
adv.
- to the most;
fully:The door was wide open. - away from a target or objective:The shot went wide.
- over a large area:The birds were scattered far and wide after the drought.
wide•ness, n. [uncountable]
-wide, suffix.
- -wide is used to form adjectives with the meaning "extending or applying throughout a certain, given space,'' as mentioned by the noun:community + -wide → communitywide (= applying to or throughout the community);countrywide;worldwide.
wide
(wīd),USA pronunciation adj., wid•er, wid•est, adv., n.
adj.
adv.
n.
wide′ness, n.
-wide,
adj.
- 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.
- Sport[Baseball.]outside (def. 16):The pitch was wide of the plate.
- full, ample, or roomy, as clothing:He wore wide, flowing robes.
- Phoneticslax (def. 7).
- British Termsshrewd;
wary.
adv.
- 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.
n.
- Sport[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.
- bef. 900; Middle English; Old English wīd; cognate with Dutch wijd, German weit, Old Norse vīthr
- 1. 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, esp. to surfaces extending laterally:a broad valley. 3. boundless; comprehensive; ample.
- 1. narrow.
-wide,
- a combining form of wide, forming from nouns adjectives with the general sense "extending or applying throughout a given space,'' as specified by the noun:communitywide;countrywide;worldwide.
'widely' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
acanthus
- acarus
- acetic acid
- achillea
- adder
- affluent society
- Afghanistan
- alfalfa
- Algeria
- alkylating agent
- almond
- alyssum
- ant
- apple
- apricot
- armyworm
- asbestos
- asparagus
- aspirin
- aster
- Athanasian Creed
- atrazine
- aubergine
- aubrietia
- auricula
- auxin
- banana
- barberry
- barley
- Bauhaus
- bauhinia
- bean
- beet
- begonia
- Belize
- bismuth
- bison
- blanket bog
- blaze
- bleeding heart
- bluebell
- blue gum
- blue whale
- bougainvillea
- brachiate
- brain death
- broad
- broadcast
- Brunei
- brush-tailed possum