extensive

Compared meaning: large or wide in size or extent (adjective).

比较义项：范围广、面积大（形容词）。

• extensive 本词

  Emphasizes wide scope or coverage across many parts or aspects; often used with damage, research, knowledge, networks; more formal than big, focusing on how much is covered rather than physical bulk.

  强调覆盖范围广或涉及方面多，常与损失、研究、知识、网络等词搭配使用；比big更正式，侧重的是覆盖了多少内容，而不是实际体积的大小。

  The company has an extensive network of stores across the country.

  这家公司在全国拥有广泛的门店网络。

• extended

  Suggests something has been made wider or longer than its original size, i.e. stretched or expanded; used for networks, coverage, families, periods; implies extension from a starting point, unlike the other three words.

  表示某事物比原来的范围更宽或更长，即被拉伸或扩大了；常用于网络、覆盖范围、家庭、时期等场合；强调是从一个起点延伸出来的，这一点与另外三个词不同。

  The airline added new routes, giving it an extended network across Asia.

  这家航空公司增加了新航线，使其航线网络扩展到了整个亚洲。

• great

  Stresses a high degree of size or extent, often in formal or literary contexts such as distance or expanse; sounds emphatic or old-fashioned for concrete objects; elsewhere means excellent, a different sense not compared here.

  强调程度上非常大、范围非常广，常出现在比较正式或文学化的语境中，例如距离或广阔的范围；用来形容具体物体时可能显得夸张或有些过时；在其他语境中great还常表示极好的，这是另一个未在此比较的含义。

  The desert stretches for a great distance in every direction.

  这片沙漠向四面八方延伸出很大的距离。

• big

  The plain, everyday word for physical size, freely used with concrete countable nouns like house, dog or city; neutral in register, without the sense of expansion (extended) or heightened degree (great) the others carry.

  是表示实际体积大小时最普通、最日常的说法，可以自由地与房子、狗、城市等具体可数名词搭配；语域中性，没有extended的扩展意味，也没有great那种程度加强的语气。

  Australia is a big country with a small population.

  澳大利亚是一个人口稀少的大国。

These four words mean large size, but differ. Extensive means wide coverage, like damage or research. Extended means stretched beyond the original size, like a network. Great means a high degree of size, and can also mean excellent. Big is the plain word for size.

这几个词都能表示程度上的大或广，但侧重点不同：extensive强调覆盖范围广、涉及方面多；extended强调比原来扩大或延伸；great强调程度很大、语气偏正式；big则是最普通、最具体的说法。注意，great在其他语境中常表示极好的，extended也常表示延长的（多指时间），例如extended vacation，这些用法这里不作比较。

Compared meaning: covering a wide range (adjective).

比较义项：广泛的，涉及范围广（形容词）。

• extensive 本词

  Extensive highlights large scope or scale, covering many aspects, a wide area, or a long period, without claiming that nothing was left out; it pairs naturally with words like damage, experience, network, or research.

  extensive 强调范围大、涉及面广或程度深，涵盖许多方面、广阔区域或较长时间，但并不表示没有遗漏；它常与 damage（损失）、experience（经验）、network（网络）、research（研究）等词搭配。

  The senator has extensive experience in foreign policy, having worked in over twenty countries.

  这位参议员在外交政策方面经验丰富，曾在二十多个国家工作过。

• comprehensive

  Comprehensive stresses completeness, including every necessary part so nothing important is missing; it typically describes plans, exams, insurance, or guides meant to cover everything at once.

  comprehensive 强调全面完整，包含了所有必要的部分，没有遗漏任何重要内容；它通常用来描述计划、考试、保险或指南等需要一次涵盖所有内容的事物。

  She had a comprehensive medical check-up that tested everything from blood pressure to eyesight.

  她做了一次全面的体检，从血压到视力都检查了。

Both words describe wide range, but differ. Extensive stresses large scale or scope, such as a wide area, without claiming nothing was left out; used with damage, experience, or research. Comprehensive stresses completeness, including every necessary part; used for exams, plans, or guides.

extensive 强调范围广、数量多或程度深，但不表示涵盖了所有必要内容；comprehensive 强调全面、无遗漏，几乎总是指包含了应有的全部要素。两词语气和搭配不同：extensive 常与 research、damage、experience 等搭配，comprehensive 常与 exam、plan、insurance、guide 等搭配。