width
gb/wˈɪtθ/ us/wˈɪtθ/
A2
English
~ 3100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
quantity
1
side-to-side measurement
How wide something is from one side to the other.
Usage pattern:
the width of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'width' with 'length'; 'width' is always the side-to-side measurement, not end-to-end.
Synonyms
breadth (Slightly more formal or literary; often interchangeable in physical contexts.)
Antonyms
length (Refers to the measurement from end to end rather than side to side.)
Collocations
width of the road
|shoulder width
|average width
|full width
|narrow width
Themes
measurement
|geometry
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|space
Examples
- The width of the table is two meters.
- They measured the width of the doorway before moving the sofa.
- The river's width varies depending on the season.
- Increase the width of the margins for better readability.
- A bridge was built to span the full width of the canyon.
Learner examples
- The width of my bed is 1.5 meters.
- We checked the width of the box.
- This street has a small width.
- The paper has a width of 21 cm.
- The room is small in width.
Grammar
Dictionary form
width
IPA
GB/wˈɪtθ/
US/wˈɪtθ/
Syllables & stress
width (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (width)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: width
- Plural: width, widths
Word family
Forms
widths
noun
Related words
widespread
adjective B1
Negative and opposite forms
narrow
adjective A2
Advanced or less common
widthwise
adverb
Expressions
full width
1/fˈʊl wˈɪtθ/
fixed phrase
entire side-to-side extent
The whole measurement from one side to the other without leaving any part out.
Examples
- The image stretched across the full width of the page.
- They painted the wall in full width to make it look larger.
shoulder-width apart
1/ʃˈoʊldɚ wˈɪtθ əpˈɑɹt/
fixed phrase
distance equal to shoulder span
With a space between two things that is about the same as how wide your shoulders are.
Examples
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart for balance.
- Keep your hands shoulder-width apart when doing push-ups.
width of experience
1/wˈɪtθ əv ɪkspˈɪɹiəns/
fixed phrase
range of knowledge or skills
How much variety someone has in their knowledge or skills.
Examples
- Her width of experience in different industries makes her valuable.
- The job requires a certain width of experience in management.