a wide berth
5
4.8
- idiom
- Informal
:
una amplia distancia
- Know thine enemy and then keep a wide berth.
- give a wide berth
If someone is driving erratically, give them a wide berth.
- If someone is driving erratically, give them a wide berth.
- I think when Dave Chappelle says offensive things about the trans community, he should be given a wide berth.
- I'm gonna give him a wide berth, you know, like, bit much for them.
Examples
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They've given him a wide berth.
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Honest ships give it a wide berth.
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We should give this place a wide berth.
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Give them a wide berth.
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The others have given him a wide berth.
Fiction book (2000) -
The turistas in their bright holiday clothes gave her a wide berth.
Fiction book (1994) -
I gave them a wide berth, waving as I passed.
Fiction book (1991) -
People are among the many large animals that instinctively give snakes a wide berth.
Academic text (2006) -
The horsemen gave the column a wide berth, but still continued to ride parallel.
Fiction book (1990) -
When walking through areas known for bears, campers should always give a wide berth to any suspicious caves.
Antonyms
How Far
Surface Forms
Morphology
a + wide + berth
Assuming the learner knows 'berth' in the sense of a space or room, combining it with 'wide' yields the literal meaning 'a large space,' which directly maps onto the idea of keeping a safe distance. The adjective+noun composition is predictable and follows normal semantic rules (despite the phrase's nautical origin), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
A wide berth comes from old sailors. A berth is the space around a ship, so sailors would steer well away to avoid hitting another ship. That's why a wide berth now means 'to keep a safe distance' or 'avoid someone or something'.