broad strokes | Idiomator

Meaning: (idiomatic)Majorfeaturesorkeypoints;outline.1989July 7,Serge Schmemann, “Vienna Talks: Complex Array of Arms Issues Plus an East of Many Voices”, inNew York Times, retrieved18 October 2011:The President made his proposals inbroad strokes, and the details remain to be worked out.2002,Howard Blum,Gangland: How the FBI Broke the Mob‎[1],→ISBN, page12:His plan, inbroad strokes, was to outfit a small fleet of cars with a number of miniature directional microphones.2009March 13, Jay Newton-Small, “Bipartisan Senate Group Makes Health-Care Progress”, inTime:A bipartisan group of nine U.S. Senators, after meeting for nine months behind closed doors, is nearing an agreement on thebroad strokesof a health-care-reform bill.; (idiomatic,especially of anarrativeorartisticwork)Developments,movements, ordescriptionspresented in aboldorsweepingmanner, withoutintricacy,adornment, orsubtlety.1914,Booth Tarkington, chapter 14, inPenrod:Maurice hastily climbed the fence, and while he was thus occupied Mr. Samuel Williams received a great enlightenment. With startling rapidity Penrod, standing just outside the storeroom door, extended his arm within the room, deposited the licorice water upon the counter of the drug store, seized in its stead the bottle of smallpox medicine, and extended it cordially toward the advancing Maurice.Genius is like that—great, simple,broad strokes!2000December 1,Julie Salamon, “Television Review: On a New Limb With Shirley MacLaine”, inNew York Times, retrieved18 October 2011:While the movie unfolds inbroad strokes, Ms. MacLaine treats this character with exquisite sensitivity and without condescension.2010, James V. Smith,You Can Write a Novel, 2nd edition,→ISBN,page55:So sketch withbroad strokes, dial up the imagery on a few main points, and leave room for a reader to play a part in your novel.

Examples:

EN: Just give me the broad strokes.
ES: Sólo dimelo a grandes rasgos.
EN: You've sketched broad strokes.
ES: Nos ha explicado todo a grandes rasgos.
EN: We love the idea in its broad strokes... but we did a quick background check, and there were some rumors.
ES: Puedo tomar este plan para Genstar. Nos encanta la idea en sus rasgos generales... pero hicimos una rápida verificación de antecedentes, y hubo algunos rumores.
EN: You've sketched some broad strokes.
ES: Harold, ¿no te importa dar una vuelta a la manzana, no?
EN: We're just gonna give you the broad strokes.
ES: Vamos a explicarle los términos generales.
EN: In broad strokes, in general principle... our estate yields on the average two percent.
ES: A grandes rasgos, en un principio general, nuestra hacienda rinde dos por ciento.
EN: I have a feeling you guys got the broad strokes already. You need any help with the details?
ES: El bosquejo del plan lo tienen claro, ¿faltan los detalles?
EN: I'm just gonna give you the broad strokes here... 'cause I've got my own problems with Matt.
ES: Todo esto en líneas generales. Yo también tenía problemas con Matt.
EN: Our plan, in the broad strokes, is an ambush.
ES: Nuestro plan, en términos generales, es una emboscada.
EN: - Bryce, broad strokes.
ES: Bryce, sin detalles.
EN: I may not have all the details, but I do have the broad strokes.
ES: No conozco los detalles, pero sí tu estilo.
EN: Well, some gold, yes, but it's the broad strokes of cerulean and crimson commingled with found objects and palimpsests that make this work of art so unique and exciting.
ES: Sí, algo de amarillo, pero las pinceladas gruesas... de azul cielo y de carmesí combinadas con objetos fundidos... y manuscritos hacen de esta obra de arte algo único y fascinante - ¿No estás de acuerdo?
EN: What I just gave them was broad strokes.
ES: Sólo les he dado unos trazos básicos.
EN: In broad strokes.
ES: - A grandes rasgos.
EN: Am I missing any of the broad strokes?
ES: ¿Me olvidé de algún detalle?

Note: the examples for non latin scripts have a high likelihood of mistakes, we do not own any of this data and it is sourced from Wiktionary, the NLLB database and Opensubtitles. Please help us improve this by contributing correct examples. We will be working to fix this issue over time however it is a bigger issue due to the the difficulties in dealing with non latin scripts and grammatical structures(non-romantic/european languages have lower resources as well ).