broaden

Compared meaning: to make something longer, wider, or greater (verb).

比较义项：使变长、变宽或范围扩大（动词）。

• extend

  Extend typically means to make something last longer or cover a greater range, often used with time periods, deadlines, or areas, rather than physical width.

  extend 通常表示使某事物持续更久或覆盖更大范围，常用于时间、期限或区域，而非物理宽度。

  The company decided to extend the deadline by two days.

  公司决定将截止日期延长两天。

• broaden 本词

  Broaden means to make something wider in scope, most often used figuratively for knowledge, experience, or perspective rather than physical measurements.

  broaden 表示使某事物在范围上更宽广，多用于比喻义，如知识、经历或视野，而非实际尺寸。

  Traveling to new places can broaden your understanding of other cultures.

  去新地方旅行能拓宽你对其他文化的理解。

• widen

  Widen describes an actual, physical increase in width, such as a road, river, or gap, and is rarely used for abstract ideas.

  widen 表示实际物理宽度上的增加，例如道路、河流或缝隙，很少用于抽象概念。

  Workers plan to widen the road to reduce traffic jams.

  工人们计划拓宽这条路以减少交通拥堵。

Extend, broaden, and widen all mean making something bigger, but differently. Extend means lasting longer or covering a greater range. Broaden means wider in scope, figuratively, for knowledge. Widen means a physical increase in width, like a road. Not compared: extend's stretch-out sense.

这三个词都能表示“使某事物变大”，但侧重的维度不同：extend 强调在时间、期限或范围上延伸；broaden 强调（常用于抽象事物）使范围变得更宽广、更全面；widen 强调实际宽度上的加宽。这里不比较 extend 表示“伸出（手等）”或“发出（邀请）”的其他义项。