copious

American  

[koh-pee-uhs] / ˈkoʊ pi əs /

adjective

1. 

   large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful.

   copious amounts of food.

   Synonyms:

   bountiful

   Antonyms:

   scarce, scanty

2. having or yielding an abundant supply.

   a copious larder;

   a copious harvest.

3. exhibiting abundance or fullness, as of thoughts or words.

   Antonyms:

   meager

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copious British  

/ ˈkəʊpɪəs /

adjective

1. abundant; extensive in quantity

2. having or providing an abundant supply

3. full of words, ideas, etc; profuse

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Synonym Usage

See ample.

Other Word Forms

• copiosity
  noun
• copiousness
  noun
• overcopiousness
  noun
• overcopious
  adjective
• uncopious
  adjective
• copiously
  adverb
• overcopiously
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of copious

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin cōpiōsus “plentiful, rich,” from cōpi(a) “wealth” (from co- co- + op(s) “plenty, power, support” + -ia -ia ) + -ōsus -ous

Explanation

If you have a copious amount of something, you have a lot of it. If you take copious notes, you'll do well when it comes time for review sessions — unless you can't read your own handwriting. Copious comes from the Latin copia, meaning "abundance." You can use copious for something quantitative, like your copious admirers, or for something qualitative, like the copious gratitude you feel for your admirers. You will often see the word amounts following copious since the adjective is often used to modify a measurement of something — like copious amounts of coffee or copious amounts of hair gel.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

copious

Since NBC was handling the coverage, Williams spent much of the day monitoring the news and taking copious notes, ready to go on the air at any moment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

Carmakers and their suppliers are industrial businesses that use copious amounts of energy, and prices in the UK are among the highest in Europe.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Mr. McElwee has an evident interest in these perspectives as a man faced with copious footage of his dead son, and with how gaps emerge between experience and the record of it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

There are copious cognitive benefits and endless possibilities for where their imaginations can run, unbound by the limiting confines of a tablet.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

On the way here, in my copious free time, I designed a "workshop."

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• ample
• extensive