adj · noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈswiːpɪŋ/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːpɪŋ
CMU ARPABET:S W IY1 P IH0 NG
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Wide, broad, affecting or touching upon many things.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The government will bring in sweeping changes to the income tax system.
He loves making sweeping statements without the slightest evidence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He claimed a sweeping victory.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Moving in a continuous motion, rather than by intermittent jumps. (For example, the second hand on a clock face may move either in the sweeping manner or in the ticking manner.)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
An instance of sweeping.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Examples
The sidewalk needed a sweeping every morning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
The activity of sweeping.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Examples
Sweeping took all morning.
The sidewalk needed sweeping every morning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
present participle and gerund of sweep
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
ignoring distinctions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
sweeping generalizations
wholesale destruction
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: wholesale
Antonyms: none provided
8
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a sweeping glance
a wide-sweeping view of the river
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
the act of cleaning with a broom
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cleaning, cleansing, cleanup
History
Etymology
By surface analysis, sweep + -ing.
Across languages
Translations
45 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
широк
(širok)
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Bulgarian:
обхватен
(obhvaten)
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Finnish:
laaja
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Finnish:
yleistävä
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Finnish:
yleisluontoinen
— wide, broad, affecting many things
French:
à l'emporte-pièce
— wide, broad, affecting many things
French:
radical
— wide, broad, affecting many things
French:
complet
— wide, broad, affecting many things
French:
large
— wide, broad, affecting many things
French:
vaste
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Georgian:
ფართო
(parto)
— wide, broad, affecting many things
German:
weitreichend
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Hungarian:
gyökeres
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Hungarian:
mélyreható
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Hungarian:
átfogó
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Hungarian:
alapos
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Polish:
doszczętny
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Russian:
масштабный
(masštabnyj)
— wide, broad, affecting many things
Russian:
широкомасштабный
(širokomasštabnyj)
— wide, broad, affecting many things
German:
durchschlagend
— completely overwhelming
Hungarian:
elsöprő
— completely overwhelming
French:
balayage
— an instance of sweeping
German:
Fegen
— an instance of sweeping
German:
Kehren
— an instance of sweeping
Hungarian:
söprés
— an instance of sweeping
Hungarian:
lesöprés
— an instance of sweeping
Hungarian:
összesöprés
— an instance of sweeping
Hungarian:
kisöprés
— an instance of sweeping
Italian:
spazzata
— an instance of sweeping
Italian:
scopata
— an instance of sweeping
Occitan:
escobatge
— an instance of sweeping
Occitan:
escobada
— an instance of sweeping
Occitan:
escobàs
— an instance of sweeping
Occitan:
ecobassa
— an instance of sweeping
Occitan:
escobeta
— an instance of sweeping
Occitan:
balaja
— an instance of sweeping
Occitan:
espolseta
— an instance of sweeping
Bulgarian:
метене
(metene)
— the activity of sweeping
