The best extensive synonym depends on what is big: the coverage, the land or the damage. Comprehensive, thorough, wide-ranging, vast and considerable handle nearly every case. Extensive is a favorite in resumes and reports, where a sharper word can make a claim easier to picture.
The sections that follow give another word for extensive in four senses, compare scope words from broad to exhaustive, and show what fits extensive experience, extensive research and extensive damage.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
comprehensive, thorough, wide-ranging, vastPart of speech
Adjective (adverb: extensively)Most formal
comprehensive, substantialMost casual
lots of, hugeStrongest
exhaustive, immenseAntonyms
limited, narrow, brief, cursoryWatch out
Exhaustive means nothing was left out. Do not use it for a quick review.Word forms covered
extensive, extensively
Pick an extensive synonym by what is large
| What is large | Use | Phrase |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage or study | comprehensive, thorough, in-depth | an in-depth survey |
| Land or space | vast, sprawling, expansive | a sprawling estate |
| Harm or change | considerable, widespread, heavy | widespread flooding |
| Experience or knowledge | long, deep, rich, solid | deep knowledge of tax law |
| A collection | large, sizable, wide | a sizable record collection |
Scope words from broad to exhaustive
The chips at the top describe how much ground a piece of work covers. Broad touches many areas but may stay shallow. Wide-ranging stresses variety. Thorough means careful, with no sloppy gaps. Comprehensive means all the main parts are included. Exhaustive means everything was checked, often to the point of tiring the reader.
Note that broad and thorough answer different questions. Broad is about range, thorough is about care. A good report can be both.
Extensive experience, research and damage
- Extensive experience in sales becomes long experience in sales or ten years of sales experience.
- Extensive research becomes thorough research or in-depth research.
- Extensive damage to the roof becomes heavy damage or widespread damage.
- An extensive menu becomes a large menu or a varied menu.
- Extensive grounds becomes sprawling grounds.
- Extensive changes to the plan becomes sweeping changes or major changes.
A resume summary: "Extensive experience in event planning." Recruiters skim past that. Try: "Eight years planning events for up to 2,000 guests." A number does the work extensive was trying to do. See experienced synonyms for related phrasing.
Formal reports versus everyday speech
In reports and papers, comprehensive, substantial and in-depth sound precise. In speech, people rarely say extensive at all. They say a lot of, huge, all over or loads of (informal): there was damage all over the house. If you want sister words for size, the large synonyms and huge synonyms pages help.
Extensively and other forms
The adverb extensively swaps to widely, thoroughly, at length or in detail. She has traveled extensively becomes she has traveled widely. The topic was discussed extensively becomes the topic was discussed at length. For the noun extent, try scope, range, reach or scale.
Mistakes to sidestep
Expensive looks similar but means costly. Intensive means concentrated in a short time, like an intensive course; extensive spreads out wide. Detailed means many small points and fits plans or notes, but vast land cannot be detailed. Excessive means too much, which adds blame.
Limited, brief and other antonyms
Neutral opposites are limited, narrow and restricted. For time or text, use brief. Cursory and superficial criticize work that skipped the details. For damage, minor or light is the natural opposite.
- The inspection was cursory, so problems were missed.
- Damage to the car was minor.
More adjectives are grouped under describing words.
Frequently asked questions
Which word replaces extensive experience on a resume?
Use a number if you can: twelve years of experience. Otherwise long, deep or broad experience reads well, and solid experience sounds confident.
Is comprehensive the same as extensive?
Close. Comprehensive stresses that every main part is included, while extensive stresses size or range. A comprehensive guide is complete, an extensive guide is long.
Extensive research sounds flat. Any fresher options?
Thorough, in-depth or wide-ranging research. Pick thorough for care and wide-ranging for many sources.
Need something even bigger than extensive?
Exhaustive and immense are stronger. Exhaustive fits coverage, and immense fits size.
Antonym check: what contrasts with extensive?
Limited is the neutral choice. Brief, narrow and cursory also work, and cursory suggests the work was rushed.
Does extensive mean expensive?
No. Extensive is about size or range, expensive is about cost. They only look alike.