sprawling
sprawling — adjective
- sprawlingpositive
- more sprawlingcomparative
- most sprawlingsuperlative
1. used to describe a city or built-up area that covers an extremely large amount o
used to describe a city or built-up area that covers an extremely large amount of land, often because buildings and houses have been added over time without a central plan.
The sprawling city of Mexico City stretches for miles in every direction.
sprawling city of [place] + distance phrase
Lara's university sits on a sprawling campus with over two hundred buildings.
Sprawling suburbs now cover what used to be farmland and forest.
The Wang family got lost twice driving through the sprawling new development zone.
Jakarta is a sprawling capital where high-rise towers stand next to old kampung houses.
- spread-out
less formal, describes the same large-area layout
- expansive
more neutral/positive, can describe grand open spaces
- compact
describes a city or area with buildings close together
文法句型
sprawling + noun (city, suburb, campus, metropolis)
常見錯誤
2. growing, spreading, or arranged in an uneven, uncontrolled way that looks messy
growing, spreading, or arranged in an uneven, uncontrolled way that looks messy or lacks order.
Sprawling rose bushes covered the entire wall of the old cottage.
sprawling [plant]: attributive describing untidy growth
The pharmacist squinted at the doctor's sprawling handwriting on the prescription.
sprawling handwriting: figurative use for hard-to-read writing
Vikram noticed sprawling roots from the banyan tree cracking the pavement.
The garden was a mess of sprawling weeds that reached up to her knees.
文法句型
sprawling + noun (plant, handwriting, roots)
be + sprawling
用法筆記
Often used for plants (vines, bushes, roots) and figurative extensions such as messy handwriting. Less commonly used for objects that are simply disorganized — use 'scattered' or 'messy' instead.
sprawling — verb
- sprawlingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- sprawlings3rd person singular
- sprawlinging-ing form
- sprawlingedpast simple
1. to sit or lie down with your arms and legs stretched out loosely, especially in
to sit or lie down with your arms and legs stretched out loosely, especially in a relaxed or careless way.
After the long hike, Hugo sprawled on the grass and shut his eyes.
sprawled on [surface]: typical preposition
The old cat sprawled across the sofa cushion, taking up the whole seat.
sprawled across [surface]: occupying space lazily
Mei found her brother sprawled in front of the television with a bag of chips.
Sophia sprawled on her bed and scrolled through messages on her phone.
The children sprawled on the living room floor, drawing dinosaurs with crayons.
文法句型
sprawl + adverb/preposition (on, across, in, over)
用法筆記
Commonly used with prepositions like 'on', 'across', or 'in' to describe the surface or location. The past participle 'sprawled' is frequently used as an adjective (e.g. 'He was sprawled on the couch').
常見錯誤
2. to spread out across a wide area in an uneven, unplanned way — used especially f
to spread out across a wide area in an uneven, unplanned way — used especially for cities, towns, plants, and climbing vegetation.
The city has sprawled far beyond its original boundaries over the last thirty years.
city sprawls beyond [boundaries]: describing uncontrolled urban growth
Climbing roses sprawled over the stone wall and hung down into the garden.
New housing developments sprawled across the hillsides, replacing forests with rooftops.
The suburbs continue to sprawl further into the countryside each year.
- expand
more neutral; does not suggest disorganization
- spread out
slightly less formal, similar meaning
- contract
to become smaller in area
文法句型
sprawl + adverb/preposition (over, across, into, outward)
用法筆記
Often used with 'outward', 'over', or 'beyond' to emphasize the direction or scope of expansion. The noun 'sprawl' (e.g. 'urban sprawl') is the nominalized form of this sense.
常見錯誤
3. to spread or scatter objects over a surface in a messy, careless way, without ar
to spread or scatter objects over a surface in a messy, careless way, without arranging them neatly.
Chiara had sprawled her study notes across the entire dining table.
sprawled [objects] across [surface]: transitive pattern
The toddler sprawled her crayons and toys all over the living room floor.
Selim sprawled his coat and bag on the bench before sitting down with a sigh.
Papers and books were sprawled across the desk where Dario had been working late.
文法句型
sprawl + object + adverb/preposition (across, over, on)
用法筆記
Typically used with a preposition phrase ('across', 'over', 'on') that describes the surface. Less common than 'spread' or 'scatter' — use only when the messiness or carelessness is the focus.