Describing Dimensions: English Vocabulary List

pulled tight, spread out, or used to its limits, often making it thin, strained, or barely enough

"The fabric is stretched."

"The rubber band stretched too far and finally snapped into two pieces hitting my hand hard."

having a relatively great vertical extent

"The shelf is too high."

"The high shelf in the kitchen holds the special dishes that we rarely use at all."

covering a large area

"The damage was extensive."

"The extensive damage from the storm required months of repair work on the old bridge completely."

continuing for too long

"The movie was lengthy."

"The lengthy movie lasted almost three hours but the amazing story kept everyone interested until the end."

(of two points) having an above-average distance between them

"The road is long."

"The long line at the grocery store made her late for her appointment with the doctor today."

not having a long length

"He is shortish for his age."

"He is shortish for his age but his quick movements make him the best player on his team."

to become wider or broader in dimension, extent, or scope

"The road will widen here."

"The city council decided to widen the main road to reduce traffic congestion during peak hours."

to increase the length or duration of something

"You should lengthen your stride."

"The tailor had to lengthen the trousers because they were too short for the tall customer."