German word

ausdehnen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈaʊ̯sˌdeːnən/

Meaning

  • verbstretch

Example

Ich dehne das Tuch aus.

I stretch the cloth.

Illustration for ausdehnen (stretch)

More examples

Um besser zu kommunizieren, will sie ihren Wortschatz ausdehnen.

To communicate better, she wants to expand her vocabulary.

Core concept

Something unfolds beyond its former boundary, making its physical size, duration, or sphere of effect broader.

Common phrases

  • den Wortschatz ausdehnen

    expand the vocabulary

  • die Suche ausdehnen

    expand the search

Similar words

ausweiten: To make the range or overall scale of something broader.
erweitern: To extend something by adding content, functions, or options.
vergrößern: To make something larger in physical size or quantity.
ausbreiten: To spread over a wider surface or area.

Definition in German

Sich oder etwas so strecken oder weiten, dass Raum, Dauer oder Einfluss zunimmt.

Word origin

German formed "ausdehnen" from "aus-" and the inherited verb "dehnen", with the compound retaining the idea of stretching outward.

Usage tips

  • The reflexive form "sich ausdehnen" commonly describes something becoming broader or longer, while "etwas ausdehnen" presents an agent as causing that change.

Other meanings

  • expandverb
  • enlargeverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word