sprawling
Stretched out haphazardly
Sprawling describes something spread out irregularly over a large area.
A sprawling city extends outward without compact planning.
A sprawling novel covers vast territory in plot or theme.
The word suggests ungainly expansion, growth without restraint: The sprawling suburbs consumed farmland for decades.
To sprawl is to sit or lie with limbs spread loosely, or to extend haphazardly.
Lacking organization or plan
- chaoticTotally without arrangement
- scatteredSpread irregularly about
- unplannedNot arranged beforehand
- disorderedLacking systematic arrangement
ramshackle · jumbled · tangled · shapeless · formless · irregular · unstructured · unsystematic
Encroaching without welcome
- creepingMoving slowly, stealthily
- spreadingExtending over space
- overrunningSurpassing intended limits
- engulfingSurrounding and consuming completely
encroaching · swallowing · consuming · overtaking · expanding · absorbing · annexing · devouring
Extremely great in size
- sweepingExtensive and far-reaching
- extensiveCovering a large scope
- wide-rangingCovering many subjects
- broadWide in span
spacious · rambling · meandering · far-reaching · open · boundless · unconfined · limitless
Residential areas outside cities
- suburbsResidential areas outside cities
- megacityUrban area exceeding ten million
- metropolisLarge important city
- cityscapeView of urban architecture
development · subdivisions · exurbs · overdevelopment · urbanization · congestion · gridlock · infrastructure
Reclining in idleness
- splayedSpread awkwardly apart
- reclinedLay back relaxed
- languidWeak and without vigor
- supineFlat, face upward
prone · relaxed · draped · lazy · spread-eagle · flopped · slumped · lolling
Increasing rapidly in quantity
- mushroomingExpanding rapidly outward
- ballooningSwelling or aerial drifting
- burgeoningExpanding or developing rapidly
- multiplyingIncreasing by repeated addition
exploding · escalating · booming · surging · snowballing · metastasizing · accelerating · unchecked
haphazard
Lacking organization or plan
disordered · ramshackle · jumbled · tangled · shapeless · formless · irregular · unstructured · unsystematic · random
invasive
Encroaching without welcome
- creepingMoving slowly, stealthily
- spreadingExtending over space
- overrunningSurpassing intended limits
engulfing · encroaching · swallowing · consuming · overtaking · expanding · absorbing · annexing · devouring · colonizing
vast
Extremely great in size
- sweepingExtensive and far-reaching
- extensiveCovering a large scope
- wide-rangingCovering many subjects
broad · spacious · rambling · meandering · far-reaching · open · boundless · unconfined · limitless · roomy
suburbia
Residential areas outside cities
- suburbsResidential areas outside cities
- megacityUrban area exceeding ten million
- metropolisLarge important city
cityscape · development · subdivisions · exurbs · overdevelopment · urbanization · congestion · gridlock · infrastructure · zoning
lounging
Reclining in idleness
supine · prone · relaxed · draped · lazy · spread-eagle · flopped · slumped · lolling · outstretched
proliferating
Increasing rapidly in quantity
- mushroomingExpanding rapidly outward
- ballooningSwelling or aerial drifting
- burgeoningExpanding or developing rapidly
multiplying · exploding · escalating · booming · surging · snowballing · metastasizing · accelerating · unchecked · uncontrolled
- Building Adjectivesangular, arched, columned, domed, vaulted
- Posturessupine, upright, slouch, slump, erect
- behaviorshabit, aggressive, agitation, conduct, passive
- body languagegestures, facial expressions, hand gestures, posture, nodding
- epicIliad, Odyssey, Beowulf, Aeneid, Gilgamesh
- idlenessdoing nothing, idling, loafing, lounging, lazing
sprawlingtidy
Free from clutter
neat · orderly · organized · structured · planned
sprawlingcondensed
Made more compact
concentrated · dense · compressed · clustered · centralized