wider
wider — adjective
- widerpositive
- widerercomparative
- widerestsuperlative
1. measuring a greater amount across than something similar — for instance, a wider
measuring a greater amount across than something similar — for instance, a wider street leaves extra room between its two edges compared with a typical street.
The new bridge is much wider than the old one, so four lanes of traffic can cross at once.
comparative: wider than + concrete measurement context
Kofi chose a wider scarf to keep his neck warm during the cold Beijing winter.
wider + noun phrase describing physical object
The river gets wider as it flows south, eventually reaching almost two kilometers across.
We need a wider doorway so the wheelchair can pass through without difficulty.
- narrower
the direct opposite in physical dimension
文法句型
be/get wider (than something)
a wider + noun
用法筆記
Often paired with 'than' to show what is being compared. The base form is 'wide'; use 'wider' when comparing two items.
常見錯誤
2. used when stating or asking about the exact distance from one side of something
used when stating or asking about the exact distance from one side of something to the other, often with a unit of measurement.
This desk is ninety centimeters wide, but I need one that is even wider for my two monitors.
number + unit + wide asking for comparative measurement
How wide does the bookshelf need to be to fit into that alcove?
Jiwoo measured the window frame to find curtains wide enough to cover the full opening.
The path is only one meter wide at the gate, though it gets wider further down.
文法句型
number + unit + wide
how wide + be + noun
用法筆記
Use 'how wide' to ask about measurement. When the exact number is stated, put the measurement after the adjective: 'two meters wide', not 'wide two meters'.
常見錯誤
3. including a larger number of different types, subjects, people, or areas; more e
including a larger number of different types, subjects, people, or areas; more extensive in range or coverage than something else.
The university now offers a wider selection of online courses for students across Asia.
wider selection of + domain
Lucía's job search expanded to a wider range of industries after she finished her training.
The charity's new program reaches a wider audience by broadcasting in five languages.
We need a wider discussion that includes voices from rural communities, not just city planners.
- broader
nearly identical in abstract use; 'broader' is slightly more formal
- more extensive
used for physical area or for the amount of content covered
- more comprehensive
suggests thorough coverage of all parts of a subject
- narrower
suggests a more limited range or fewer options
文法句型
a wider + noun
wider + noun + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Commonly used with nouns like 'range', 'range of', 'selection', 'audience', 'community', 'discussion'. This is the most frequent abstract use of 'wider' and is found in both formal and everyday contexts.
常見錯誤
4. opened more fully than before, especially referring to a person's eyes or mouth,
opened more fully than before, especially referring to a person's eyes or mouth, often as a reaction to surprise, fear, or wonder.
Iris's eyes grew wider when she saw the dolphin leap out of the water.
eyes + grow wider = reaction to surprise/wonder
João opened the window wider to let the smell of fresh bread drift into the kitchen.
The child's mouth fell wider open as the magician pulled a rabbit from his hat.
Shirin opened her arms wider to hug her grandmother, who she had not seen in two years.
- more fully
used with 'open' to describe a greater degree of opening
文法句型
open + noun + wider
eyes/mouth + get + wider
用法筆記
When used with body parts, 'wider' most often describes the eyes or mouth. For objects like doors or windows, 'wider' describes a change of state (opening something more fully), whereas PHYSICAL BROADNESS (sense 1) compares the object's inherent dimension: 'the door is wider than the window' (sense 1) vs. 'she opened the door wider' (sense 4).
常見錯誤
5. straying further from the correct direction or intended purpose than something e
straying further from the correct direction or intended purpose than something else; not reaching the desired point or aim.
The golfer's second shot landed even wider of the green than his first attempt.
wide of + noun = missing the target
Liang's answer was wider of the mark than any other student's in the class.
wide of the mark = idiom for incorrect/wrong
The comedian's joke fell wider of the audience's expectations than any joke he had told before.
Kemi's guess at the number of beans was wider of the mark than anyone expected, and everyone burst out laughing.
- off target
more general; can be literal or figurative
- inaccurate
used for statements, measurements, or predictions that are not correct
文法句型
be wide of the mark/target
land/fall wide
用法筆記
Commonly appears in the fixed expression 'wide of the mark' (incorrect or inaccurate). Can be used both literally (sports, shooting) and figuratively (answers, guesses, opinions).
常見錯誤
wider — adverb
1. to a greater distance from side to side or over a larger area; covering more phy
to a greater distance from side to side or over a larger area; covering more physical space than before.
The children spread out wider across the playground so no one could tag them all at once.
spread + wider = extend over greater area
Nadia scattered the birdseed wider around the garden so the sparrows would not fight over it.
The floodwaters spread wider overnight, covering two more villages near the river.
Anjali opened her arms wider to show how big the fish she had caught really was.
- further apart
more specific about the distance between points
- closer together
describes things brought nearer to each other
文法句型
spread + wider
open + wider
travel + wider
用法筆記
Compare with the adjective sense: as an adverb, 'wider' modifies a verb (e.g., 'spread wider'), not a noun. It describes how the action is done.
常見錯誤
2. to the greatest possible degree; as completely as possible, especially when open
to the greatest possible degree; as completely as possible, especially when opening something.
The dentist asked Hannah to open her mouth wider so he could examine her back teeth carefully.
open + wider = completely, to fullest extent
Rafael pushed the heavy gates wider to let the delivery truck enter the courtyard.
The curtains were drawn wider to let the morning sunlight flood the entire room.
The bird stretched its wings wider before taking off from the branch.
- fully
suggests completeness without the comparative element
- completely
suggests that nothing more can be added
文法句型
open + noun + wide/wider
用法筆記
This sense emphasizes reaching the maximum possible degree of opening (mouth, wings, curtains), whereas 'OVER DISTANCE' (adverb/1) focuses on literal physical spread across an area. Compare: 'the children spread wider across the playground' (adverb/1 — area coverage) vs. 'open your mouth wider' (adverb/2 — fullest extent).
3. at a large distance from the correct target or intended position; missing the ai
at a large distance from the correct target or intended position; missing the aim by a considerable margin.
The striker kicked the ball wider of the goal than he intended, and the fans groaned in disappointment.
kick + wider of + goal = sports comparative
Constanza threw wider of her teammate than she usually does, and the other team quickly grabbed the ball.
The archer's final arrow flew wider and landed farther from the target than she expected.
Lucas's shot went wider to the right than he had planned, missing the basketball hoop entirely.
- off-target
describes any attempt that does not reach its mark
- on target
reaching the intended destination
- accurately
with precision toward the target
文法句型
go/fly/fall + wide + of + noun
用法筆記
Common in football (soccer), rugby, cricket, archery, and golf. The adverb 'wide' (without 'r') is also used for a single miss; 'wider' compares the miss to a previous attempt or to what was expected.
常見錯誤
wider — noun
- widersingular
- widersplural
1. in cricket, a ball bowled so far to the side of the batter that it cannot be hit
in cricket, a ball bowled so far to the side of the batter that it cannot be hit, resulting in one extra run being awarded to the batting team.
The bowler bowled a wide, and the umpire raised his arm to signal the extra run.
bowl a wide = cricket-specific collocation
Lauren felt frustrated after bowling two wides in the final over of the match.
The captain told his team to focus on accuracy after three wides in the first over alone.
Tendai watched the umpire signal a wide — the ball had gone far past the batter.
文法句型
bowl a wide
signal a wide
用法筆記
This sense is specific to cricket, a sport popular in the UK, Australia, India, Pakistan, and other Commonwealth countries. It is rarely used outside of cricket contexts.