bounteous
Americanadjective
-
giving or disposed to give freely; generous; liberal.
- Synonyms:
- openhanded, munificent, lavish, free-handed, free
adjective
-
giving freely; generous
the bounteous goodness of God
-
plentiful; abundant
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bounteous
First recorded in 1325–75; late Middle English bo(u)ntevous, from Old French bontieus, bontive (equivalent to bonte “goodness” + -ive, feminine of adjective ending -if ) + -ous adjective suffix, influenced by bounty; see also -ive, -ous
Explanation
Things that are bounteous are plentiful and generously given. Your friends might celebrate your birthday by bringing you a bounteous armful of flowers. Farmers planting their crops in the spring hope for a bounteous harvest in the summer, and the very best elementary school teachers have bounteous amounts of affection for children. Bounteous things are found in great abundance. The word's original, fourteenth century meaning was "full of goodness," from the noun bounty, or "generosity." The Latin root is bonitatem, or "goodness."
Vocabulary lists containing bounteous
Twelfth Night
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The Tempest
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A Room of One's Own
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I was sitting in the Hummer parked on the lot, racing through its bounteous features.
From Slate ● Jun. 22, 2025
And a bounteous survey of her work on paper, titled “Joan Jonas: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral,” is at the Drawing Center in SoHo.
From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2024
The meat stays very juicy, and in combination with the aioli in bounteous quantity and the salad, things do get very messy.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 14, 2023
It's inspired by Taylor's decade of experiences observing the holiday, where "all-day cook-outs with artful salads, bounteous dessert spreads and raised glasses of 'red drink' are essential."
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2022
But Papa saw it as his providing a bounteous table.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
