Vast vs. Wide — What's the Difference?

Immense in size or extent.

Having great breadth.

Enormous difference or gap.

Extensive in range or scope.

Widely scoped or comprehensive.

Open to a full extent.

Great in importance or significance.

Far from a target or point.

Overwhelming in effect or impact.

Inclusive of a broad array.

Very great in size, extent, or quantity.

Of great or more than average width

Very great in scope or import

Including a great variety of people or things

An immense space.

At a considerable or specified distance from an intended point or target

Very large or wide (literally or figuratively).

To the full extent

Very great in size, amount, degree, intensity, or especially extent.

Far from a particular or intended point or target

(obsolete) Waste; desert; desolate; lonely.

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.

(poetic) A vast space.

Having a specified extent from side to side

Waste; desert; desolate; lonely.

Extending over a great distance from side to side; broad

Of great extent; very spacious or large; also, huge in bulk; immense; enormous; as, the vast ocean; vast mountains; the vast empire of Russia.

Having great extent or range; including much or many

Very great in numbers, quantity, or amount; as, a vast army; a vast sum of money.

Fully open or extended

Very great in force; mighty; as, vast labor.

To the side of or at a distance from a given boundary, limit, or goal

Very great in importance; as, a subject of vast concern.

(Baseball) Outside.

A waste region; boundless space; immensity.

(Sports) Being toward or near one of the side boundaries of a playing area, such as a sideline on a football field.

Unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope;

Deviating or straying from something expected or specified

(Linguistics) Lax.

Over a great distance; extensively

To the full extent; completely.

To the side of or at a distance from a given boundary, limit, or goal.

(Sports) Toward or near one of the sides of a playing area

A ball bowled outside of the batsman's reach, counting as a run for the batting team in cricket.

Having a large physical extent from side to side.

Large in scope.

(sports) Operating at the side of the playing area.

On one side or the other of the mark; too far sideways from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.

Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open and relaxed, condition of the organs in the mouth.

Vast, great in extent, extensive.

(obsolete) Located some distance away; distant, far.

(obsolete) Far from truth, propriety, necessity, etc.

(computing) Of or supporting a greater range of text characters than can fit into the traditional 8-bit representation.

Antagonistic, provocative.

Extensively

Completely

Away from or to one side of a given goal

So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so as to form a large opening.

(cricket) A ball that passes so far from the batsman that the umpire deems it unplayable; the arm signal used by an umpire to signal a wide; the extra run added to the batting side's score

Having considerable distance or extent between the sides; spacious across; much extended in a direction at right angles to that of length; not narrow; broad; as, wide cloth; a wide table; a wide highway; a wide bed; a wide hall or entry.

Having a great extent every way; extended; spacious; broad; vast; extensive; as, a wide plain; the wide ocean; a wide difference.

Of large scope; comprehensive; liberal; broad; as, wide views; a wide understanding.

Of a certain measure between the sides; measuring in a direction at right angles to that of length; as, a table three feet wide.

Remote; distant; far.

Far from truth, from propriety, from necessity, or the like.

On one side or the other of the mark; too far side-wise from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.

Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open and relaxed, condition of the mouth organs; - opposed to primary as used by Mr. Bell, and to narrow as used by Mr. Sweet. The effect, as explained by Mr. Bell, is due to the relaxation or tension of the pharynx; as explained by Mr. Sweet and others, it is due to the action of the tongue. The wide of ē (ēve) is ĭ (ĭll); of ā (āte) is ĕ (ĕnd), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, 13-15.

Having or showing a wide difference between the highest and lowest price, amount of supply, etc.; as, a wide opening; wide prices, where the prices bid and asked differ by several points.

To a distance; far; widely; to a great distance or extent; as, his fame was spread wide.

So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so as to form a large opening.

So as to be or strike far from, or on one side of, an object or purpose; aside; astray.

That which is wide; wide space; width; extent.

That which goes wide, or to one side of the mark.

Having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other;

Broad in scope or content;

(used of eyes) fully open or extended;

Very large in expanse or scope;

Great in degree;

Great in range or scope;

Having ample fabric;

Not on target;

With or by a broad space;

To the fullest extent possible;

Far from the intended target;

To or over a great extent or range; far;

While they both imply large measurements, 'vast' is more abstract, and 'wide' is more concrete.

'Wide' often applies to physical measurements like the breadth of a road or a river.

'Vast' is used to describe immense spaces, abstract quantities, or significant extents.

'Wide' generally lacks a strong emotional connotation, focusing more on describing physical dimensions without imparting significant emotional weight.

Yes, 'vast' is often used in scientific, philosophical, or metaphorical contexts.

'Vast' often conveys a sense of awe or overwhelming magnitude, suggesting something grand or immense.

'Wide' specifically refers to the physical dimension of something being broad, unlike the more abstract 'vast'.

In literature, 'vast' is used to evoke settings of immense spaces or deep emotional landscapes, enhancing the thematic depth or setting's expansiveness.

In visual arts, 'vast' may describe compositions that emphasize depth or open spaces, creating a sense of infinity or boundlessness.

Yes, 'vast' can refer to non-physical quantities, such as a vast amount of knowledge or information, indicating a great extent or breadth in abstract terms.

While less common, 'wide' can be used metaphorically to describe something like a wide range of opinions, emphasizing diversity or variety within a set boundary.

In scientific contexts, 'vast' might refer to cosmic distances or deep time, while 'wide' in technical contexts often describes measurements like the width of a component.

In architecture, 'wide' describes physical dimensions such as the width of hallways, doors, or buildings, crucial for planning and functional design.

'Wide' often pertains to accessibility, like a wide doorway ensuring easier access, whereas 'vast' doesn’t specifically relate to inclusivity but more to the scale or scope of something.

For discussing diversity in choices or options, 'wide' is more appropriate, as it implies a broad spectrum within a defined range.