sweeping

verb

1. 1

   Also a form of sweeppresent participle and gerund of sweep

noun

1. 1

   An instance of sweeping.

   The sidewalk needed a sweeping every morning.

2. 2

   The activity of sweeping.

   Sweeping took all morning.

   The sidewalk needed sweeping every morning.

adjective

1. 1

   Wide, broad, affecting or touching upon many things.

   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.”

2. 2

   Completely overwhelming.

   He claimed a sweeping victory.

3. 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.)

Forms

plural

sweepings

comparative

more sweeping

superlative

most sweeping