• (RP, GA) IPA: /waɪd/
• (AU, New Zealand) IPA: /wɑed/

wide (comparative wider, superlative widest)

1. Having a large physical extent from side to side.

   We walked down a wide corridor.

2. Large in scope.

   The inquiry had a wide remit.

3. (sports) Operating at the side of the playing area.

   That team needs a decent wide player.

4. On one side or the other of the mark; too far sideways from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.

   Too bad! That was a great passing-shot, but it's wide.

   • Surely he shoots wide on the bow hand.

   • I was but two bows wide.

5. (phonetics, dated) Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open and relaxed, condition of the organs in the mouth.
6. (Scotland, Northern England, now rare) Vast, great in extent, extensive.

   The wide, lifeless expanse.

7. (obsolete) Located some distance away; distant, far. [15th–19th c.]
   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 81:

     Mr Hunt's house, you know, lies wide from Harlowe-place.

   • the contrary being so wide from the truth of Scripture and the attributes of God

8. (obsolete) Far from truth, propriety, necessity, etc.
   • 1644, John Milton, The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce:

     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.

   • It is far wide that the people have such judgments.

   • How wide is all this long pretence!

9. (computing) Of or supporting a greater range of text characters than can fit into the traditional 8-bit representation.

   a wide character; a wide stream

• narrow (regarding empty area)
• thin (regarding occupied area)
• skinny (sometimes offensive, regarding body width)

• width

• French: large
• German: breit, weit
• Italian: largo, ampio
• Portuguese: largo, amplo
• Russian: широ́кий
• Spanish: ancho, amplio, ancha, amplia

• Spanish: amplio

• Spanish: lateral

wide (comparative wider, superlative widest)

1. extensively

   He travelled far and wide.

2. completely

   He was wide awake.

3. away from a given goal

   The arrow fell wide of the mark.

   A few shots were fired but they all went wide.

4. So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so as to form a large opening.

• Italian: largo

wide (plural wides)

1. (cricket) A ball that passes so far from the batsman that the umpire deems it unplayable; the arm signal used by an umpire to signal a wide; the extra run added to the batting side's score