sprawl — to sit, lie, or fall with one's arms and legs spread out in an ungainly or awkward way
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to sit, lie, or fall with one's arms and legs spread out in an ungainly or awkward way
Pronunciation (IPA): /sprɔːl/
Example Sentences
- After the food coma hit, Jake sprawled on the couch like a starfish that had given up on life
- The shopping mall sprawled across three city blocks
- She tripped and ended up in an undignified sprawl, papers flying everywhere like confetti at a very boring party
sprawl
VERB[/sprɔːl/]
to sit, lie, or fall with one's arms and legs spread out in an ungainly or awkward way
a teenager has completely sprawled across the entire couch with arms and legs spread out in all directions. One arm hangs off the side while the other stretches across the back cushions. Their legs are bent at odd angles with one foot on the armrest and the other dangling toward the floor. A parent stands nearby holding a basket of laundry, shaking their head with an amused expression at the ungainly position. someone sitting with their arms and legs spread out in an ungainly and awkward way
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle English 'sprawlen' meaning 'to move convulsively' or 'to struggle'. The word evolved from describing jerky, uncontrolled movements to meaning 'to spread out irregularly or carelessly'.
Breakdown
sprawl (root meaning 'to spread irregularly') - no clear prefix or suffix breakdown, but related to words like 'sprawling' and 'sprawled'
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“After the food coma hit, Jake sprawled on the couch like a starfish that had given up on life”
“The shopping mall sprawled across three city blocks”
“She tripped and ended up in an undignified sprawl, papers flying everywhere like confetti at a very boring party”
“The suburbs continued to sprawl outward from the city center”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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