sweeping

[ swee-ping ]

adjective

1. of wide range or scope.

   Synonyms: comprehensive, broad, extensive

2. moving or passing about over a wide area:

   a sweeping glance.

3. moving, driving, or passing steadily and forcibly on.
4. (of the outcome of a contest) decisive; overwhelming; complete:

   a sweeping victory.

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that sweeps. sweeps. sweep.
2. sweepings, matter swept swept sweep out or up, as dust, refuse, etc.

sweeping

/ ˈswiːpɪŋ /

adjective

1. comprehensive and wide-ranging

   sweeping reforms

2. indiscriminate or without reservations

   sweeping statements

3. decisive or overwhelming

   a sweeping victory

4. taking in a wide area

   a sweeping glance

5. driving steadily onwards, esp over a large area

   a sweeping attack

Derived Forms

• ˈsweepingly, adverb
• ˈsweepingness, noun

Other Words From

• sweeping·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of sweeping¹

First recorded in 1470–80; sweep ¹ + -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The contest took place on Saturday in Birmingham city centre and follows the craze of celebrity doppelganger competitions currently sweeping the globe.

From BBC

The city council of San José, Northern California’s most populous city, unanimously passed a sweeping mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance earlier this fall.

From Los Angeles Times

Trump has also called for controversial changes to trade policy, proposing sweeping tariffs on all goods coming into the country.

From BBC

Even so, Trump didn’t just win a second lease on the White House, sweeping all seven of the decisive battleground states.

From Los Angeles Times

The government was aware these are sweeping requests.

From New York Times

Related Words

• across-the-board
• all-encompassing
• broad
• comprehensive
• exhaustive
• extensive
• radical
• thorough
• wholesale