WIDE Synonyms: 150 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'wide' different from other adjectives like it?

The words broad and deep are common synonyms of wide . While all three words mean "having horizontal extent," wide is more common when units of measurement are mentioned, or when applied to unfilled space between limits. // rugs eight feet wide // a wide doorway

Q: In what contexts can 'broad' take the place of 'wide'?

Although the words broad and wide have much in common, broad is preferred when full horizontal extent is considered. // broad shoulders

Q: When is 'deep' a more appropriate choice than 'wide'?

In some situations, the words deep and wide are roughly equivalent. However, deep may indicate horizontal extent away from the observer or from a front or peripheral point. // a deep cupboard // deep woods

wide 1 of 2

adjective

ˈwīd

Definition of wide

as in broad

having a greater than usual measure across the river is so wide that building a bridge across it would be impractical

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in extensive

having considerable extent a wide and detailed knowledge of the issue

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

wide

2 of 2

adverb

as in quite

to a full extent or degree the door was wide open

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word wide different from other adjectives like it?

The words broad and deep are common synonyms of wide. While all three words mean "having horizontal extent," wide is more common when units of measurement are mentioned, or when applied to unfilled space between limits.

rugs eight feet wide

a wide doorway

In what contexts can broad take the place of wide?

Although the words broad and wide have much in common, broad is preferred when full horizontal extent is considered.

broad shoulders

When is deep a more appropriate choice than wide?

In some situations, the words deep and wide are roughly equivalent. However, deep may indicate horizontal extent away from the observer or from a front or peripheral point.

a deep cupboard

deep woods

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of wide

Adjective

The platform supports a wide range of price points and categories, from daily essentials like specialty coffee, specific candles, or a preferred bottle of wine to high-end apparel, fine art, and home goods. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026 Modern armed forces increasingly require affordable platforms that can be adapted to changing missions and integrated into wider command-and-control networks. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026

Adverb

Highs Friday likely stay into the 60s area-wide, with temperatures on Saturday morning dipping into the 40s. — Damien Lodes, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Sure enough, league-wide, teams have gotten increasingly good at limiting offense on fly balls and line drives thanks to defensive positioning. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wide

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wide

Adjective

By contrast, long-term investing remains focused on owning productive assets, participating in economic growth and aligning investment decisions with broader financial objectives.

— Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Instead, Hugo says the case encompasses a much broader body of work stemming from compositions the two created during nearly 50 studio sessions between 2019 and 2021.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of broad

Adjective

The certification follows extensive safety assessments, design reviews, and ground testing.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
China has backed its ambitions with extensive reforms that are explicitly meant to strengthen intellectual property protections.

— Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of extensive

Adverb

But now, as everything online morphs into algorithmic social media, the case for concern has crystallized into something quite specific.

— Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Few sports have embraced the pursuit of new audiences quite like F1, the motorsport league acquired by Liberty Media nearly a decade ago.

— Sam Jacobs, Time, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of quite

Adjective

The public promenade that wraps around the bay in front of the hotel invites walkers, runners, and bikers to explore the historic pathway that leads to the thick, lush pine forest at the edge of the sea.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
Bake chicken until deeply browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165°, 25–30 minutes.

— Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of thick

Adjective

In France, Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally is leading presidential polls ahead of the 2027 election and has called for a sweeping overhaul of public broadcasting, including privatization.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
The Election Commission of India, an independent constitutional body, has sweeping powers to ensure that the polls remain beyond reproach.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of sweeping

Adverb

That could represent either a benefit or a risk for shareholders, as decision-making would become faster but have fewer checks.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Its stainless steel body can last for years of making pour-over coffee every morning or evening cups of hot tea, and the kettle also comes in handy to boil water fast for everyday recipes.

— Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of fast

Adjective

Both have built much of their appeal on opposition to the political establishment, the promise to wish away budget constraints, and deep hostility toward the European Union.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Acting was his guiding passion, but his deep love for the avant-garde helped till the ground for the city’s theatrical renaissance that the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival catalyzed.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of deep

Adverb

Rising fuel costs, discontent with the state of schools, declining public services and a housing crisis have created perfectly stormy weather for an autumn of protests in Europe.

— Teresa Medrano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
This process, which generates perfectly crystalline silicon ingots to be sliced like fragile metallic salamis into thin wafers, is entrusted largely to one firm in Taiwan and two in Japan.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of perfectly

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“Wide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wide. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of wide

adjective

adverb

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Phrases Containing wide

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Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on wide

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