Wide

How to spell wide

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce wide

What does wide mean?

1. adjectiveMeasuring a large distance from side to side, or covering a broad range.
2. adverbTo the full extent, or far from the intended target.

Wide in a sentence

• adjective

  The new motorway is wide enough for three lanes of traffic.

• adverb

  She left the back door wide open during the move.

• adjective

  The store offers a wide selection of office furniture.

• adverb

  His first throw landed wide of the basket.

Where does wide come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a native English word, descending from the Old English wid, which meant broad, vast, or extending far. It traces back to the Proto-Germanic widaz, a sense shared with the Old Norse vidr and the modern German weit, all carrying the idea of great extent or distance. The original sense leaned on physical breadth and openness, as in a wide field or a wide sea, and over the centuries it broadened figuratively to cover things like a wide range of choices or wide experience. The adverb 'widely' and the verb 'widen' grew from the same root, as did the related word 'width'. Because the spelling has stayed so close to its old form, the only real trap is the silent final 'e', which marks the long vowel sound.

How the word is built

• wide (from Old English wid, meaning broad or extensive); a single native root with no affixes