Wide vs. Tall: What's the Difference?
By Harlon Moss & Janet White || Updated on May 23, 2024
"Wide" refers to the measurement of something from side to side, while "Tall" refers to the measurement from bottom to top, often used to describe height.
Key Differences
"Wide" describes the extent of something from one side to the other. It is often used to measure horizontal distances or dimensions. For example, a wide river means it spans a considerable distance from one bank to the other. "Tall" measures the height of an object from its base to its top. It is commonly used to describe vertical dimensions. For instance, a tall building means it extends a great distance upwards.
In spatial descriptions, "wide" focuses on the breadth of an area or object. For example, a wide doorway indicates enough room for easy passage, while "tall" emphasizes how high something stands. A tall tree, for instance, reaches high into the sky.
When discussing clothing, "wide" might refer to the girth or breadth of the garment, whereas "tall" relates to the length from top to bottom. A wide shirt accommodates more chest space, while tall pants are suited for someone with long legs.
"Wide" often implies expansiveness and spaciousness. For example, a wide-open field feels vast and expansive. "Tall" suggests elevation and prominence, such as a tall skyscraper that dominates the skyline.
Comparison Chart
Measurement
Horizontal (side to side)
Vertical (bottom to top)
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Spatial Context
Breadth or extent across
Height or extent upwards
Clothing Fit
Girth or breadth
Length from top to bottom
Impression
Expansiveness
Elevation or prominence
Usage Example
Wide river, wide doorway
Tall building, tall tree
Wide and Tall Definitions
Wide
Measuring a great distance from side to side.
The river is very wide, making it difficult to build a bridge.
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Tall
Extending far upwards.
The trees in the forest are tall and majestic.
Wide
Broad in scope or range.
The book covers a wide range of topics.
Tall
Standing high in comparison to width.
The statue is tall and slender.
Wide
Having ample breadth.
The chair has wide armrests for extra comfort.
Tall
Of great stature.
The horse is tall and powerful.
Wide
Having a specified extent from side to side
A ribbon two inches wide.
Tall
Having considerable height.
The basketball player is very tall.
Wide
Extending over a great distance from side to side; broad
A wide road.
A wide necktie.
Tall
Having greater than ordinary height
A tall woman.
Wide
Having great extent or range; including much or many
A wide selection.
Granting wide powers.
Wide variations.
Tall
Having considerable height, especially in relation to width; lofty
Tall trees.
Wide
Fully open or extended
Look with wide eyes.
Tall
Having a specified height
A plant three feet tall.
Wide
To the side of or at a distance from a given boundary, limit, or goal
A shot that was wide of the target.
Tall
(Informal) Fanciful or exaggerated; boastful
Tall tales of heroic exploits.
Wide
(Baseball) Outside.
Tall
Impressively great or difficult
A tall order to fill.
Wide
(Sports) Being toward or near one of the side boundaries of a playing area, such as a sideline on a football field.
Tall
(Obsolete) Excellent; fine.
Wide
Deviating or straying from something expected or specified
A remark that was wide of the truth.
Tall
With proud bearing; straight
Stand tall.
Wide
(Linguistics) Lax.
Tall
(of a person) Having a vertical extent greater than the average. For example, somebody with a height of over 6 feet would generally be considered to be tall.
Being tall is an advantage in basketball.
Wide
Over a great distance; extensively
Traveled far and wide.
Tall
(of a building, etc.) Having its top a long way up; having a great vertical (and often greater than horizontal) extent; high.
Wide
To the full extent; completely.
Tall
(of a story) Hard to believe, such as a tall story or a tall tale.
Wide
To the side of or at a distance from a given boundary, limit, or goal.
Tall
Smaller than grande, usually 8 ounces (~ 230 ml).
Wide
(Sports) Toward or near one of the sides of a playing area
Ran wide to catch a pass.
Tall
(obsolete) Obsequious; obedient.
Wide
A ball bowled outside of the batsman's reach, counting as a run for the batting team in cricket.
Tall
(obsolete) Seemly; suitable; fitting, becoming, comely; attractive, handsome.
Wide
Having a large physical extent from side to side.
We walked down a wide corridor.
Tall
(obsolete) Bold; brave; courageous; valiant.
Wide
Large in scope.
The inquiry had a wide remit.
Tall
(archaic) Fine; proper; admirable; great; excellent.
Wide
(sports) Operating at the side of the playing area.
That team needs a decent wide player.
Tall
Someone or something that is tall.
Wide
On one side or the other of the mark; too far sideways from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.
Tall
A clothing size for taller people.
Do you have this in a tall?
Wide
Made, as a vowel, with a less tense, and more open and relaxed, condition of the organs in the mouth.
Tall
A tall serving of a drink, especially one from Starbucks, which contains 12 ounces.
Wide
Vast, great in extent, extensive.
The wide, lifeless expanse.
Tall
High in stature; having a considerable, or an unusual, extension upward; long and comparatively slender; having the diameter or lateral extent small in proportion to the height; as, a tall person, tree, or mast.
Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall.
Wide
(obsolete) Located some distance away; distant, far.
Tall
Brave; bold; courageous.
As tall a trenchermanAs e'er demolished a pye fortification.
His companions, being almost in despair of victory, were suddenly recomforted by Sir William Stanley, which came to succors with three thousand tall men.
Wide
(obsolete) Far from truth, propriety, necessity, etc.
Tall
Fine; splendid; excellent; also, extravagant; excessive.
Wide
(computing) Of or supporting a greater range of text characters than can fit into the traditional 8-bit representation.
A wide character; a wide stream
Tall
Great in vertical dimension; high in stature;
Tall people
Tall buildings
Tall trees
Tall ships
Wide
Antagonistic, provocative.
Tall
Lofty in style;
He engages in so much tall talk, one never really realizes what he is saying
Wide
Extensively
He travelled far and wide.
Tall
Impressively difficult;
A tall order
Wide
Completely
He was wide awake.
Tall
Too improbable to admit of belief;
A tall story
Wide
Away from or to one side of a given goal
The arrow fell wide of the mark.
A few shots were fired but they all went wide.
Tall
Measuring a great distance from base to top.
The building is so tall that it touches the clouds.
Wide
So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so as to form a large opening.
Wide
(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
Wide
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.
The chambers and the stables weren wyde.
Wide is the gate . . . that leadeth to destruction.
Wide
Having a great extent every way; extended; spacious; broad; vast; extensive; as, a wide plain; the wide ocean; a wide difference.
For sceptered cynics earth were far too wide a den.
When the wide bloom, on earth that lies,Seems of a brighter world than ours.
Wide
Of large scope; comprehensive; liberal; broad; as, wide views; a wide understanding.
Men of strongest head and widest culture.
Wide
Of a certain measure between the sides; measuring in a direction at right angles to that of length; as, a table three feet wide.
Wide
Remote; distant; far.
The contrary being so wide from the truth of Scripture and the attributes of God.
Wide
Far from truth, from propriety, from necessity, or the like.
It is far wide that the people have such judgments.
How wide is all this long pretense !
Wide
On one side or the other of the mark; too far side-wise from the mark, the wicket, the batsman, etc.
Surely he shoots wide on the bow hand.
I was but two bows wide.
Wide
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.
Wide
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.
Wide
To a distance; far; widely; to a great distance or extent; as, his fame was spread wide.
[I] went wyde in this world, wonders to hear.
Wide
So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so as to form a large opening.
Wide
So as to be or strike far from, or on one side of, an object or purpose; aside; astray.
Wide
That which is wide; wide space; width; extent.
Wide
That which goes wide, or to one side of the mark.
Wide
Having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other;
Wide roads
A wide necktie
Wide margins
Three feet wide
A river two miles broad
Broad shoulders
A broad river
Wide
Broad in scope or content;
Across-the-board pay increases
An all-embracing definition
Blanket sanctions against human-rights violators
An invention with broad applications
A panoptic study of Soviet nationality
Granted him wide powers
Wide
(used of eyes) fully open or extended;
Listened in round-eyed wonder
Stared with wide eyes
Wide
Very large in expanse or scope;
A broad lawn
The wide plains
A spacious view
Spacious skies
Wide
Great in degree;
Won by a wide margin
Wide
Great in range or scope;
An extended vocabulary
Surgeons with extended experience
Extensive examples of picture writing
Suffered extensive damage
A wide selection
Wide
Having ample fabric;
The current taste for wide trousers
A full skirt
Wide
Not on target;
The kick was wide
The arrow was wide of the mark
A claim that was wide of the truth
Wide
With or by a broad space;
Stand with legs wide apart
Ran wide around left end
Wide
To the fullest extent possible;
Open your eyes wide
With the throttle wide open
Wide
Far from the intended target;
The arrow went wide of the mark
A bullet went astray and killed a bystander
Wide
To or over a great extent or range; far;
Wandered wide through many lands
He traveled widely
Wide
Extending over a large area.
The park is wide and perfect for picnics.
Wide
Spacious in terms of width.
The hallway is wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
FAQs
What does "tall" measure?
"Tall" measures the vertical distance from bottom to top.
How do you describe a river's measurement from bank to bank?
A river's measurement from bank to bank is its width.
Can an object be both wide and tall?
Yes, an object can have significant width and height, like a large skyscraper.
Can "tall" describe a building?
Yes, a tall building extends a great distance upwards.
Is height the same as being tall?
Yes, height is the measurement that describes how tall something is.
Is "wide" used to describe clothing?
Yes, "wide" can describe the girth or breadth of clothing, such as wide pants.
What does "wide" measure?
"Wide" measures the horizontal distance from side to side.
Is width related to breadth?
Yes, width and breadth both refer to the side-to-side dimension.
Can "tall" describe a person?
Yes, "tall" is commonly used to describe a person's height.
What does "tall" imply in terms of prominence?
"Tall" implies elevation and prominence.
Is "wide" typically used for horizontal dimensions?
Yes, "wide" is typically used for horizontal dimensions.
How would you describe the measurement of a tree from its base to its top?
The measurement of a tree from its base to its top is its height.
What does "wide" imply in terms of space?
"Wide" implies expansiveness and spaciousness.
Can "wide" describe a door?
Yes, a wide door has a significant breadth from one side to the other.
Can "wide" describe a field?
Yes, a wide field indicates it extends over a large area.
Can "tall" describe a monument?
Yes, a tall monument stands high and prominent.
Is "wide" used in architecture?
Yes, "wide" is often used in architecture to describe the breadth of structures.
Does "tall" refer to stature?
Yes, "tall" refers to considerable height or stature.
Is "tall" typically used for vertical dimensions?
Yes, "tall" is typically used for vertical dimensions.
Does "wide" have to do with range?
Yes, "wide" can refer to a broad scope or range of something.
About Author
Written by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
Co-written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
