wide berth
The idiom "wide berth" originates from nautical terminology, where it refers to keeping a safe distance from other vessels to avoid collisions.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
C1Nautical
(technical)Maintaining adequate distance from other vessels or objects to ensure safety and maneuverability.
Example
- The captain gave the iceberg a wide berth to prevent any accidents.
B2General
(idiomatic)Keeping a considerable distance from someone or something to avoid trouble or danger.
Example
- She gave the barking dog a wide berth to avoid getting bitten.
- He gave his ex-girlfriend a wide berth at the party to prevent any awkward encounters.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "wide berth":
cut a wide swathgo widebroad reachbroad in the beamwide openbroad strokes