dilated

adjective

di·​lat·​ed ˈdī-ˌlā-təd 

dī-ˈlā-

1

: marked by expansion or widening : subject to dilation

Some insist that the need to learn is likely to be at the core of our dilated childhood.

—Natalie Angier

specifically : expanded, enlarged, or widened normally or abnormally in all dimensions

dilated pupils

a dilated artery/cervix

Abdominal roentgenograms taken when the patient was upright showed a massively dilated stomach.

—Yogesh K. Gupta

2

: expanded laterally

especially : being flat and widened

dilated leaves

The flower corolla consists of only the upper dilated petal called the standard, or banner.

—Sylvan T. Runkel and Dean M. Roose

3

: caused by dilatation (see dilatation sense 1a)

dilated cardiomyopathy

Examples of dilated in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Inside the lobby, a line of people with smeared eye makeup and dilated pupils snaked out of the bathrooms, laughing and flirting next to a wall of fake plants. —Emily Witt, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024

The injection comes with a side effect, though: Most patients will experience a droopy eyelid, dilated pupil and some vision loss for about 10 minutes, but the symptoms resolve quickly. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 20 Nov. 2023

Often by the time a patient sees a doctor, that person has already developed serious complications, including heart rhythm abnormalities or a dilated heart that doesn’t pump blood well. —Paula Andalo | Kff Health News, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2023

Delta 8 has been shown to slightly increase blood flow, which can result in dilated blood vessels in the eyes. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 4 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

dilated

adjective

di·​lat·​ed dī-ˈlā-təd 

ˈdī-ˌ

1

: expanded, enlarged, or widened normally or abnormally in all dimensions

dilated pupils

a dilated artery/cervix

2

: caused by dilation

dilated cardiomyopathy