Sweeping

/ˈswiːpɪŋ/ · verb

Meaning

present participle and gerund of sweep.

Definitions by Sense

1. present participle and gerund of sweep
2. (countable) An instance of sweeping.
3. (uncountable) The activity of sweeping.
4. Wide, broad, affecting or touching upon many things.
5. Completely overwhelming.
6. 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.)

Example Sentences

The sidewalk needed a sweeping every morning.

Sweeping took all morning.

The sidewalk needed sweeping every morning.

The government will bring in sweeping changes to the income tax system.

He loves making sweeping statements without the slightest evidence.

We steamed easily across the first part of the Tay Bridge, and then after passing over the long spans in mid-stream we coasted smoothly down the 1 in 114 gradient, and around the sweeping curve through Esplanade Station.

By the time politicians in several cities backed down on Tuesday and announced that they would cut or consider reducing fares, the demonstrations had already morphed into a more sweeping social protest, with marchers waving banners carrying slogans like “The people have awakened.”

The thing is, we've even had formal confirmation from Government itself that the crucial research required to make such sweeping claims hasn't been done!

Synonyms for sweeping

Antonyms for sweeping

Related Words

Word Forms

• sweepings
• more sweeping
• most sweeping

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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