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Kevin
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December 2, 2022
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Common Questions
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You might have heard today’s word of the day in idioms like broad strokes, but what does the word broad actually mean? Today, we will cover all of the potential meanings of the word broad.
By the end of this article, you will have not just a broad knowledge but also a deep knowledge of this new word!
What Does Broad Mean?
According to Dictionary, there are a few different definitions of broad. The first definition of broad means to a great extent or having great breadth when measured from side to side. The superlative forms of broad are broader and broadest. The pronunciation of broad is brɔd.
The word broad is also a slang term for a woman. This sense of the word can sometimes be considered rude, so make sure that you do not refer to someone as a broad unless you are prepared to offend someone.
How Can We Use Broad in a Sentence?
Below, you will find many example sentences that contain the word broad. Some of these use the word broad in a literal sense, while other example sentences use them in a figurative sense.
As you read these sentences, see if you can determine which ones use broad figuratively and which use the word broad literally. See if you can come up with your own examples of using the word broad figuratively and literally!
Example #1
When many of the students were confused about a particular test question, the teacher gave them a broad hint to point them in the right direction.
Example #2
The marketing team described their campaign in such broad outlines that it came off as unprepared.
Example #3
The student had a broad range but felt useless because he was not a prodigy at any one thing in particular.
Example #4
Her broad shoulders and long limbs made her an unstoppable force on the swim team. She had a perfect record, and Olympic recruiters began noticing her skill.
Example #5
The woman could not believe the man would dare to steal her purse in broad daylight.
Example #6
We gazed out over the broad expanse of land beneath us when we reached the top of the mountain on our hike.
Example #7
We passed by broad plains and a shallow lake on our road trip. We felt lucky to be able to take in the majesty of nature.
Example #8
The political science professor took a broad political stance to let his students foster their own opinions.
Example #9
After the young girl got her braces off, her broad smile showed off her pearly whites.
Example #10
He used the word consultant in the broadest sense when he described his job. But, truth be told, he was unemployed.
Example #11
The broad river was over 10,000 feet broad, which was nearly two miles broad! As a result, the swimmers in the triathlon were unsure they could make it all the way across without needing assistance.
Example #12
The Scots could not understand the man’s broad Yorkshire accent and had him write down what he was trying to say. The phonetics and dialectal confusion made it difficult to communicate.
Example #13
The broad joke tried to appeal to many different people, but unfortunately, none of them found it funny.
Example #14
The cleaning product had many broad applications around the house.
What Is the Etymology of Broad?
The word broad is very old and has been in the English language since before the year 1000! This term was originally the Middle English brôd, which came from the Old English brād and the German breit.
What Are Translations of Broad?
Broad is not just a way of describing something in British English and American English. People all over the world describe things as broad. Study the below translations of broad from Nice Translator to learn how to say broad in other languages.
- Catalan: ample
- Dutch: breed
- Slovenian: široko
- Croatian: širok
- Marathi: व्यापक
- Italian: ampio
- Gujarati: વિશાળ
- Korean: 넓은
- Portuguese (Portugal): largo
- Telugu: విస్తృత
- Thai: กว้าง
- Estonian: laiune
- Amharic: ሰፋ
- Icelandic: breitt
- Russian: широкий
- Chinese (Taiwan): 廣闊
- Tamil: அகலம்
- Greek: ευρύς
- Vietnamese: rộng lớn
- Japanese: 広い
- Ukrainian: широкий
- Indonesian: luas
- Bulgarian: широк
- Malay: luas
- Arabic: واسع
- Hungarian: széles
- Hindi: चौड़ा
- Serbian: широк
- Portuguese (Brazil): largo
- Welsh: lydan
- Basque: zabal
- Filipino: malawak
- German: breit
- Turkish: kalın
- Spanish: amplio
- Romanian: larg
- Latvian: plašs
- Urdu: وسیع
- Bengali: বিস্তৃত
- French: vaste
- Danish: bred
- Finnish: laaja
- Lithuanian: platus
- Slovak: široký
- Kannada: ಅಗಲವಾದ
- Norwegian: bred
- Swahili: pana
- Chinese (PRC): 广阔
- Polish: szeroki
- Czech: široký
- Malayalam: വിശാലമായ
- Hebrew: רָחָב
- Swedish: bred
What Are Synonyms of Broad?
Power Thesaurus provides several word lists related to the term broad, including the below list of synonyms of broad!
- across the board
- across-the-board
- all-around
- all-embracing
- all-encompassing
- all-inclusive
- ample
- blanket
- broader
- chick
- clear
- common
- complete
- comprehensive
- dame
- eclectic
- encompassing
- encyclopedic
- exhaustive
- expansive
- extended
- extensive
- far-reaching
- full
- general
- generic
- global
- great
- immense
- imprecise
- inclusive
- large
- large-scale
- larger
- liberal
- loose
- nonspecific
- overall
- plain
- roomy
- spacious
- sweeping
- thick
- thorough
- tolerant
- universal
- unspecific
- unsubtle
- vague
- vast
- wholesale
- wide
- wide-ranging
- widely
- wider
- widespread
What Are Antonyms of Broad?
To learn how to describe things that are the opposite of broad, use these antonyms of broad from Power Thesaurus.
- attenuated
- circumscribed
- close
- confined
- cramped
- deficient
- delicate
- exclusive
- fine
- inadequate
- insufficient
- insular
- limited
- little
- local
- meager
- minimal
- minute
- narrow
- narrow-minded
- paltry
- parochial
- partial
- petty
- precise
- restricted
- scant
- scanty
- short
- slender
- slight
- slim
- small
- spare
- strait
- strict
- thin
- tight
- tiny
- twiggy
Conclusion
The word broad (brɔːd) is an adjective that means large or wide. This word can be used literally and figuratively, depending on the context. The word broad is also a slang term for a woman and is usually considered offensive, so steer clear of using this term in that context.
Sources:
Broad synonyms – 2 453 Words and Phrases for Broad | Power Thesaurus
Broad antonyms – 962 Opposites of Broad | Power Thesaurus
