wide
Pluralwides
- 1
- 2
- 3In a way that leaves a big open space or gap.
Like opening your arms as far as they will go.
She opened the window wide to let in fresh air.
He pushed the gate wide and stepped through.
UsageSay open it wide.
- 4Over a large area or in many places.
Like spreading seeds across a big field.
They searched far and wide for the lost dog.
The news spread wide across the whole town.
UsageSay far and wide. In most other sentences, use widely.
Similarfar, extensively
- 5Off to one side of a target, so as to miss it.
Like throwing a ball that misses the basket to the left.
His kick went wide of the goal.
The arrow flew wide and missed the tree.
UsageSay the ball went wide.
Similarastray
Note
- 6In sports, playing near the side edge of the field.
Like standing near the edge of the field instead of the middle.
The coach played him wide on the left.
She likes to stay wide near the touchline.
UsageSay a player plays wide or stays wide.
Note
Less common meanings
- 7All the way, or totally, as when someone is fully awake.
She was wide awake long after midnight.
Nobody knows who will win, because the game is still wide open.
UsageSay wide awake or wide open.
Similarfully, completely
- 8Going too far to one side of the target, such as a cricket ball the batter cannot reach.
Like a pitch thrown so far off that no one could swing at it.
The ball was so wide the batter let it go.
His delivery was wide of the stumps again.
Note
- 9In cricket, a ball bowled too far to one side to be hit, giving the batting team an extra run.
The bowler gave away a wide with his first ball.
Two wides in a row upset the captain.
Note
- 10
- 11
- 12Far away in distance.
Mr Hunt's house, you know, lies wide from Harlowe-place.
1748, [Samuel Richardson], ClarissaHere, wide means far away.Note
- 13Far from what is true, right, or needed.
How wide is all this long pretence!
[1633], George Herbert, The Temple. Sacred PoemsHere, wide means far from the truth.And I trust anon by the help of an infallible guide, to perfect such Prutenic tables, as shall mend the astronomy of our wide expositors.
1643, J[ohn] M[ilton], The Doctrine and Discipline of DivorceNote
- 14In computers, able to handle more characters than the old 8-bit system could.
- 15Clever and quick to understand things.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
From Old English wīd, meaning "wide" or "broad." It goes back to an old root meaning "to separate" or "in two."
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Wide derives from Old English wīd, meaning wide or broad. en.wiktionary.org
- The word traces back to an ancient root meaning to separate, and ultimately to an element meaning in two. en.wiktionary.org