widespread

/ˈwaɪdspred/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwaɪdspred/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈwīd-ˈspred/ (ame, mw)

widespread — adjective

  • widespreadpositive
  • more widespreadcomparative
  • most widespreadsuperlative

1. affecting a very large number of people or covering a very large area — for exam

1.形容詞B2
釋義

affecting a very large number of people or covering a very large area — for example, a custom that many communities follow, a problem found across many schools, or a belief held by most people in a society.

例句

There is widespread support for building a new park in the neighborhood.

collocation: widespread support

The flu caused widespread illness among students at Diya's school last winter.

同義詞
  • common

    less formal; focuses on frequency rather than geographical or population coverage

  • prevalent

    more formal; suggests something is dominant or typical in a given area or group

  • extensive

    emphasises the large area something covers, but less natural with human-group subjects

  • ubiquitous

    much stronger; suggests something is found everywhere, often hyperbolically

反義詞
  • limited

    restricted in scope, area, or number

  • rare

    not happening often or found in few places

  • local

    contained within a small area rather than spread widely

文法句型

widespread + noun (attributive)

be + widespread (predicative)

用法筆記

Typically modifies abstract nouns (support, use, belief, concern, illness) rather than concrete physical objects. You would not normally say 'a widespread table' to mean a wide table.

常見錯誤

❌A widespread river flows through the valley.
✅A wide river flows through the valley.
💡'Widespread' refers to how far something reaches across people or places, not physical width.