have broad shoulders Definition

broad
adj broader, broadest

1. Large in extent from one side to the other. Opposite of deep.

Example: The sink is two foot broad
2. Wide and open; spacious.

Thesaurus: wide, expansive, vast, ample, spacious, capacious, voluminous; Antonym: narrow, slender.
3. General, not detailed.

Example: a broad inquiry
Thesaurus: extensive, comprehensive, general, all-inclusive, widespread.
4. Clear; full.

Example: in broad daylight
5. Strong; obvious.

Example: a broad hint
6. Main; concentrating on the main elements rather than on detail.

Example: the broad facts of the case
7. Tolerant or liberal.

Example: take a broad view
Thesaurus: liberal, tolerant, open, open-minded, progressive; Antonym: narrow-minded, biased.
8. Said of an accent or speech: strongly marked by local dialect or features.

Example: broad Scots
9. Usually said of a joke or anecdote, etc: rather rude and vulgar.
10. econ.
Said of money: belonging to one of the less liquid (adj 5) categories, eg money deposited in an account, etc so that it cannot be realized into cash without several months' notice. See M².

noun

(N Amer)
1. offensive, slang
A woman.
2. A series of low-lying shallow lakes connected by rivers in E Anglia.

Form: the Broads
3. The broad part of something.

Derivative: broadly
adverb

Widely; generally.
Example: broadly speaking
Example: I broadly agree

Derivative: broadness
noun

Idiom: broad in the beam

colloq
Said of a person: wide across the hips or buttocks.

Idiom: have broad shoulders

Said of a person: to be able to accept a great deal of responsibility.

Idiom: it's as broad as it is long

Said of a situation or problem, etc: it makes no difference which way you look at it, approach it or deal with it, etc; the result will be the same either way.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon brad.