sprawly
Adjective: 1. Spreading out in an irregular, untidy, or extensive manner: Describes something, typically a large area or development, that extends over a wide space in a disorganized or loosely structured way, often implying a lack of compactness or planning.
The adjective "sprawly" is used to describe the physical layout or growth pattern of something, most commonly urban or suburban areas. It carries a slightly negative connotation, suggesting inefficient use of space or uncontrolled expansion. - It is typically used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb like "be" or "become"). - It describes the resultant state of sprawling.
- The city's sprawly suburbs made public transportation inefficient.
- Once a small town, it has become a sprawly metropolis over the past two decades.
- They moved to a less sprawly neighborhood where shops and parks were within walking distance.
- The campus felt sprawly and confusing to new students.
- Comparative and Superlative Forms: "sprawlier," "sprawliest." These forms are used to compare the extent of irregular spread.
- The eastern district is even sprawlier than the western one.
- It is the sprawliest county in the state.
- Sprawl (verb): To spread out in an ungainly or irregular way.
- The city continued to sprawl into the surrounding farmland.
- Sprawl (noun): An ungainly or spreading posture, or an area of spreading urban development.
- He relaxed in a sprawl on the sofa.
- The urban sprawl was visible from the airplane.
- Expansive: Covering a large area.
- Spread-out: Extended over a wide area.
- Dispersed: Distributed over a wide area.
- Straggling: Spreading out in an irregular, untidy line.
- Compact: Closely and neatly packed together.
- Dense: Having parts closely crowded together.
- Contained: Kept within limits.
- Tightly-knit: Closely integrated or organized.
"Sprawly" specifically emphasizes the irregular, often haphazard quality of the spread. While "expansive" can be neutral or positive, and "dispersed" can be deliberate, "sprawly" often implies a negative judgment on the lack of planning or cohesion. It is almost exclusively used for man-made environments like cities, suburbs, or complexes, not for natural features like forests.
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spread out irregularly
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a big sprawly city
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