broad
broad
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for broad is /brɔːd/.
The word is a single syllable with the following sounds:
br: A consonant blend represented by the phonemes /br/.
oa: A vowel sound represented by the long monophthong /ɔː/.
d: A final consonant sound represented by the phoneme /d/.
Word Form Variations
Adjective: broad (base form)
Comparative: broader
Superlative: broadest
Adverb: broadly
Noun: breadth, broadness
Verb: broaden
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Covering a large area from side to side; wide.
Synonyms: wide, expansive, spacious, vast
Antonyms: narrow, constricted, confined
Including a wide range of subjects or ideas; general rather than detailed.
Synonyms: general, sweeping, comprehensive, extensive
Antonyms: specific, detailed, narrow, limited
Clear and obvious; not subtle. (Often used to describe a hint or a type of humor.)
Synonyms: obvious, plain, unsubtle, direct
Antonyms: subtle, indirect, veiled
Describing a regional accent that is strong and very noticeable.
Synonyms: thick, strong, pronounced
Antonyms: slight, refined, subtle
Noun
(Slang, Offensive) A woman. ⚠️ This term is outdated and widely considered vulgar and misogynistic.
Synonyms: None are appropriate in polite context.
Antonyms: Not applicable.
Examples of Use
In Literature
"Turning me around by one arm, he moved a broad, flat hand along the front vista, including in its sweep a sunken Italian garden, a half acre of deep, pungent roses, and a snub-nosed motor-boat that bumped the tide offshore."
(F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby)
In this context, broad is used to describe the physical width of a character's hand.
In News Media
"The bill passed with broad, bipartisan support, a rare occurrence in the highly polarized legislative body, signaling a unified stance on the issue."
(The Associated Press, March 2024)
Here, broad means comprehensive or wide-ranging, referring to support from across the political spectrum.
In Entertainment
"Farewell you boys of the New York P.D.
Farewell to the calls and the cries
The prayers of the lost and the needy
By the banks of the Broad Majestic Shannon
Where the faces of the angels were smiling."
(The Pogues, "The Broad Majestic Shannon")
This example from a song title and lyric uses broad to evoke an image of a wide, expansive river.
In Public Discourse
"To secure the peace and promote prosperity, we must continue to build the broadest possible coalition of nations to confront shared challenges and seize common opportunities."
(Remarks by a United Nations official)
In political and diplomatic speech, broadest is used to mean inclusive and involving many different groups or countries.
In Everyday Language (Idiomatic Use)
"To say that all teenagers are rebellious is to paint with too broad a brush."
This common idiom uses broad to criticize a generalization that overlooks individual differences and details.
10 Famous Quotes Using Broad
For the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. (The Bible, Matthew 7:13)
...the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. (Winston Churchill, "Their Finest Hour" speech)
His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd. (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "The Lady of Shalott")
There is a broad distinction between color and form; color is finite, form is infinite. (William Blake, Annotations to Reynolds' Discourses)
By the broad Potomac's shore—again the raven on the wire! (Walt Whitman, "By the Bivouac's Fitful Flame")
This is the broad and general highway to her grace. (William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew)
He was a powerfully-built man, with a broad chest and shoulders, and a square, determined face. (Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet)
He could see the man's broad back, and the sun shining on the wet oars. (Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea)
...said the fat boy, with a broad smile. (Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers)
Architecture is a very broad subject, and it's closely related to culture. (Tadao Ando)
Etymology
In simple terms, the word broad has been with the English language since its very beginning and has always meant "wide."
Its journey starts with the Old English word brād, which meant "wide, flat, open, or extended." This came from an even older Proto-Germanic root, *braidaz, which had the same basic meaning.
So, when the word first appeared in writing over a thousand years ago, it was used in the same physical sense we use it today—to describe something that is wide from side to side, like a broad river or broad shoulders.
Over the centuries, this simple, physical meaning expanded to include more abstract or figurative ideas. For example:
A "broad topic" is one that is wide-ranging and not specific.
A "broad hint" is one that is wide open and obvious, not subtle.
"Broad daylight" refers to the full, open light of day.
Essentially, the word's core idea of "wideness" has been applied to concepts beyond physical space, but the fundamental meaning has remained remarkably stable throughout its entire history.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Broad
In broad daylight: To do something openly and visibly during the day, often used to describe a crime or brazen act.
Paint with a broad brush (or in broad strokes): To describe or generalize about something in a way that ignores important details and nuances.
Broad shoulders: This can be taken literally to mean wide shoulders, or figuratively to describe someone who can handle a lot of responsibility, criticism, or emotional burdens.
It's as broad as it is long: An idiom meaning that two different options or choices will lead to the same result, so there's no real difference between them.
Broad-minded: Tolerant and open to different ideas, viewpoints, and lifestyles.
Broad appeal: The quality of being attractive or interesting to a wide range of people.
A broad hint: A very obvious and direct suggestion, not a subtle one.
In the broadest sense: Considering something in the most general or all-encompassing way.
A broad church: A group, organization, or political party that includes a wide and diverse range of opinions and beliefs.
Broad spectrum: Covering a wide range of subjects, activities, or effects, often used in scientific or medical contexts (e.g., broad-spectrum antibiotics).
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of broad from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
