generous

[ jen-er-uhs ]
See synonyms for: generousgenerouslygenerousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish: a generous patron of the arts;a generous gift.

  2. free from meanness or smallness of mind or character; magnanimous.

  1. large; abundant; ample: a generous portion of pie.

  2. rich or strong in flavor: a generous wine.

  3. fertile; prolific: generous soil.

Origin of generous

1
First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French genereux, genereus “magnanimous,” and Latin generōsus “of noble birth, excellent,” equivalent to gener- (see gender2) + -ōsus -ous

synonym study For generous

1. Generous, charitable, liberal, bountiful, munificent all describe persons who give to others something of value, or the acts of such persons. Generous stresses the warm and sympathetic nature of the giver: a generous gift; generous in praise of the work of others. Charitable places stress on both the goodness and kindness of the giver and the indigence or need of the receiver: charitable assistance to people in need; a charitable person, always willing to help those less fortunate than herself. Liberal, in this connection, emphasizes the size of the gift, the largesse and openhandedness of the giver: a liberal contribution to the endowment fund. Bountiful implies effusive, unstinted giving and a sense of abundance or plenty: bountiful and unrestricted support for the museum; a bountiful return for his efforts. Munificent refers to gifts or awards so large and striking as to evoke amazement or admiration: a life income, a truly munificent reward for his loyalty; a munificent contribution, larger by far than any other.

Other words for generous

Opposites for generous

Other words from generous

  • gen·er·ous·ly, adverb
  • gen·er·ous·ness, noun
  • o·ver·gen·er·ous, adjective
  • o·ver·gen·er·ous·ly, adverb
  • qua·si-gen·er·ous, adjective
  • qua·si-gen·er·ous·ly, adverb
  • su·per·gen·er·ous, adjective
  • su·per·gen·er·ous·ly, adverb

Words Nearby generous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use generous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for generous

generous

/ (ˈdʒɛnərəs, ˈdʒɛnrəs) /


adjective
  1. willing and liberal in giving away one's money, time, etc; munificent

  2. free from pettiness in character and mind

  1. full or plentiful: a generous portion

  2. (of wine) rich in alcohol

  3. (of a soil type) fertile

Origin of generous

1
C16: via Old French from Latin generōsus nobly born, from genus race; see genus

Derived forms of generous

  • generously, adverb
  • generousness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012