wide / wīd/ • adj. (wid·er, wid·est) 1. of great or more than average width: a wide road. ∎  (after a measurement and in questions) from side to side: it measures 15 cm long by 12 cm wide how wide do you think this house is? ∎  open to the full extent: wide eyes. ∎  considerable: tax revenues have undershot Treasury projections by a wide margin.2. including a great variety of people or things: a wide range of opinion. ∎  spread among a large number of people or over a large area: the business is slowly gaining wider acceptance. ∎  [in comb.] extending over the whole of: an industry-wide trend.3. at a considerable or specified distance from a point or mark: Bodie's shot was inches wide. ∎ Baseball (of a pitch) outside: the ball was wide of the plate. ∎ Baseball (of a throw) to either side of a base: forced a wide throw to first. ∎  (in field sports) at or near the side of the field: he played in a wide left position.4. Phonet. another term for lax.• adv. 1. to the full extent: his eyes opened wide.2. far from a particular point or mark: a shot that went wide to the right. ∎  at or near the side of the field; toward the sideline: he will play wide on the right.• n. Cricket a ball that is judged to be too wide of the stumps for the batsman to play, for which an extra is awarded to the batting side. ∎  a run scored because of a delivery of this kind.PHRASES: give someone/something a wide berthsee berth.wide awake fully awake.wide of the mark a long way away from an intended target. ∎  inaccurate: the accusation was a little wide of the mark.wide open1. stretching over an outdoor expanse: the wide open spaces of Montana.2. offering a great variety of opportunities: suddenly the whole world was wide open to her.3. (of a contest) of which the outcome is not predictable.4. vulnerable, esp. to attack.DERIVATIVES: wide·ness n.wid·ish adj.