# wide

/ˈwaɪd/ (US) · /wˈaɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wide
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. distance from side to side

adjective · CEFR A2

measuring a large distance from one side to the other.

For teachers: having a great extent from side to side; broad in physical dimension.

- The river is very wide at this point, so we need a boat to cross.
- The architect designed a wide hallway to accommodate the heavy flow of visitors expected during peak gallery hours.

### 2. large in scope

adjective · CEFR B1

including many different types of things or people.

For teachers: extensive in scope, range, or variety.

- The shop offers a wide range of organic vegetables from local farms.
- The university provides a wide variety of extracurricular activities, ranging from competitive sports to specialized academic societies.

### 3. missing the target

adjective · CEFR B1

far from the point you were aiming at.

For teachers: located or directed at a distance from the intended mark or goal.

- His shot was wide of the goal and hit the fence behind it.
- The striker's final attempt was agonizingly wide, missing the far post by only a few inches in the closing minutes of the match.

### 4. computing/text

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

using more computer memory to show special characters from different languages.

For teachers: supporting a greater range of text characters than the traditional 8-bit representation, typically referring to 16-bit or 32-bit encoding.

- The software uses wide characters to display the text correctly in Japanese.
- Modern applications rely on wide character strings to ensure full compatibility with international phonetic symbols and non-Latin scripts.

### 5. fully or completely

adverb · CEFR B1

to the full or largest possible amount.

For teachers: to the full extent; completely or fully.

- She opened the window wide to let the fresh air into the room.
- The child stared with eyes wide in amazement as the magician pulled a rabbit from the empty hat.

### 6. cricket penalty

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a ball thrown too far from the batter, giving the other team a point.

For teachers: a ball that passes so far from the batsman that it is deemed unplayable, resulting in an extra run for the batting side.

- The bowler was frustrated after giving away a wide in the final over.
- The umpire signaled a wide by extending both arms horizontally, penalizing the bowler for a delivery that strayed too far outside the off stump.

## Examples

- The river is very wide at this point.
- The new highway is wide enough to accommodate four lanes of heavy traffic.
- The candidate's wide experience in international law made her the ideal choice for the diplomatic mission to the United Nations.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.