paint with a broad brush
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
To describe or characterize something in general terms
Literally: applying paint with wide strokes
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
The critic painted the entire genre with a broad brush
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “paint with a broad brush” mean?
To describe or characterize something in general terms Literally: applying paint with wide strokes
Is “paint with a broad brush” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“vơ đũa cả nắm” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.