extensive

extensive — adjective

1. having a broad reach or effect, whether across physical space, a range of subjec

1.形容詞B2
釋義

having a broad reach or effect, whether across physical space, a range of subjects, or an amount of something

例句

The storm caused extensive damage to homes and roads across the region.

collocation: extensive damage

Dr. Okafor has extensive knowledge of tropical diseases and their treatment.

collocation: extensive knowledge

同義詞
  • broad

    emphasizes width of range; less formal than extensive

  • wide-ranging

    stresses variety across different areas; more informal but very common

  • comprehensive

    focuses on completeness and thoroughness, especially for documents or studies

  • vast

    suggests enormous physical scale; stronger and often more dramatic than extensive

反義詞
  • limited

    opposite in both scope and amount

  • narrow

    opposite in range or variety

文法句型

extensive + noun

be + extensive

常見錯誤

❌The book had an extensive cover.' (meaning spacious).
✅The book had extensive coverage of the topic.
💡'extensive' describes scope or range, not physical size of a flat object like a book cover.

2. relating to a farming or agricultural method that uses very large stretches of l

2.形容詞C1
釋義

relating to a farming or agricultural method that uses very large stretches of land while minimizing the amount of labor, equipment, or money invested per unit

例句

Extensive farming uses large areas of land but fewer workers per hectare than intensive methods.

contrasts with intensive farming

Rodrigo's family has practiced extensive grazing on their ranch in Argentina for three generations.

attributive: extensive grazing

同義詞
  • large-scale

    more general; not limited to farming contexts

  • low-intensity

    emphasizes the minimal-input aspect rather than land area

反義詞
  • intensive

    the direct opposite; high labor and investment per unit of land

文法句型

extensive + noun (agricultural context)

用法筆記

Mostly used before a noun (attributive position) to describe a type of farming. The opposite concept is intensive farming, where smaller land areas receive higher inputs of labor and resources.

常見錯誤

❌The farmer switched to extensive irrigation system.' (confusing with 'large' in general).
✅The farmer switched to extensive grazing methods across the open plains.
💡use the agricultural sense only when referring to low-input, large-area farming, not just any large system.