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whole

Meaning in simple English

US /hoʊl/ · UK /həʊl/

whole means: Including every part of something, with nothing left out.

adjective

ALL OF ITA2

Including every part of something, with nothing left out.

  • I ate the whole apple.
  • The whole family came to dinner.
  • Did you spend the whole day at home?

Similar words: entire, complete

Opposites: partial

Common phrases: the whole day, the whole family, my whole life, the whole story

HEALTHY AND UNHURTC2

Healthy and not hurt or damaged in body or mind.

  • She felt whole again after her recovery.
  • He returned from battle whole in body.
  • The treatment helped restore her to a whole and healthy state.

Similar words: healthy, uninjured, sound

Opposites: injured, damaged

Common phrases: whole in body, whole in mind, feel whole again

adverb

IN ONE PIECEB2

Completely, without cutting or breaking something into smaller pieces.

  • Swallow the tablet whole.
  • The snake swallowed its prey whole.
  • We roasted the fish whole with some herbs.

Similar words: in one piece, entirely

Common phrases: swallow something whole, cook something whole, roast something whole

noun

ENTIRE AMOUNTB1

All of something, including every part or the entire amount.

  • I read the whole of the book.
  • Snow covered the whole of the valley.
  • We spent the whole of Sunday cleaning.

How to use it: the whole of something (Rain spread across the whole of the country.)

Similar words: all, entirety

Opposites: part

Common phrases: the whole of, the whole amount, throughout the whole

COMPLETE THINGB2

A complete thing made from all its parts.

  • The parts form a whole.
  • The pictures and text create a pleasing whole.
  • Consider the system as a whole before changing individual parts.

Similar words: unit, entity

Opposites: part

Common phrases: a coherent whole, as a whole, a unified whole

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Phrases with whole

whole in other languages

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