profoundly
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of profoundly
Explanation
If you’re profoundly moved by the last chapter of that novel you’re reading, then you’re extremely moved — you feel it deep in your soul. The adverb profoundly means something similar to “extremely,” with the additional sense that it’s something intense and deeply felt. If you’re profoundly confused, you’re very confused — confused in a way that seems bottomless. The word can also describe something that affects you greatly. If you’re profoundly influenced by the works of Shakespeare, that means his writing shaped the whole way you think about writing, whether you're working on plays, limericks, love letters.
Vocabulary lists containing profoundly
Tuck Everlasting
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The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
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"The Latehomecomer" by Kao Kalia Yang
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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.
When DeepSeek was launched, it suddenly impacted American AI companies profoundly because of the apparent cost benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
“I want to say how profoundly grateful and relieved that we are that our two employees were released safely,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
It is a development that could profoundly reshape how the economy operates, according to an analysis by Steven Ruggles, a leading demographer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Eating disorders are profoundly neglected,” says Dr. Susan McElroy, a clinical researcher on eating disorders at the University of Cincinnati and Lindner Center of Hope.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
The story told by myxotricha is as deep as any myth, as profoundly allusive.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
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.
