broad

The word “broad” means wide, either physically or in scope or range. In plain terms, wide, whether describing physical width or the scope of an idea, plan, or description.

“Broad” is pronounced brawd (/bɹɔːd/ in IPA).

Here is “broad” used in a sentence: “He has broad shoulders.”

The opposite of “broad” — its antonyms — are thin, narrow, skinny, all-encompassing and slender.

“Broad” is an adjective.

The word “broad” comes from Old English. From Old English brad, meaning wide or spacious — an ancient Germanic word found in similar forms across many related languages.

“Broad” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Broad” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: wide, either physically or in scope or range.

They overlap heavily and often swap freely. 'Wide' usually stresses the distance from one side to the other — a wide road, a wide gap. 'Broad' stresses full extent across a surface or, figuratively, in scope — broad shoulders, a broad range of topics. 'Broad' leans more naturally into abstract, general meanings.

Yes. Beyond physical width, 'broad' often describes scope or range — a broad topic, broad agreement, a broad selection. Used this way it means wide-ranging or general rather than narrow and specific. This figurative sense is one of the most common ways the word appears in everyday speech.

The usual opposite is 'narrow.' For a physical object, narrow means small from side to side; for scope, it means limited or specific. A broad avenue becomes a narrow lane; broad interests become narrow ones. Depending on context, 'limited' or 'restricted' can also work as opposites of the figurative sense.