What does widdy mean?
Widdy is an informal British adjective meaning large or sizeable, especially with regard to size, amount, or extent. It can appear before a noun or function as a predicate, as in “a widdy house” and “the difference was widdy.” The word has a blunt, conversational force: where “big” is neutral and “huge” suggests exceptional magnitude, “widdy” often conveys a broad, emphatic impression without formally ranking the thing described. It is now relatively uncommon in contemporary British English and can sound old-fashioned, regional, or playfully emphatic, so it is more characteristic of informal writing and speech than formal prose. Widdy has no standard independent noun or verb form; its comparative and superlative are “widdier” and “widdiest.” The word is chiefly notable for preserving a distinctly British informal register and for giving ordinary descriptions of size a colorful, emphatic tone.
adjectiveLarge in size, amount, or extent; sizeable.
- Large in size, amount, or extent; sizeable.
"The old mill was a widdy building, with rooms spread across three floors."
"They lived in a widdy house that could easily have accommodated twice as many people."
"There was a widdy difference between the two versions of the agreement."
Widdy gives the plain word “big” a distinctly British and old-fashioned flourish.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of widdy
Widdy is an English word that appeared in the early 19th century as an informal adjective meaning “large” or “sizeable.” It is usually explained as a formation from wide with the suffix -y, although the precise derivation is not entirely certain.
Related word forms
How widdy is actually used
Informal and chiefly British. It is relatively uncommon today and may sound regional, old-fashioned, or playfully emphatic rather than neutral.
Easily confused with widdy
“Widely” is an adverb meaning “over a large area or range” or “by many people,” whereas “widdy” is an adjective describing something as large or sizeable.