profound

[ pruh-found ]

/ prəˈfaʊnd /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR profound ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, pro·found·er, pro·found·est.

penetrating or entering deeply into subjects of thought or knowledge; having deep insight or understanding: a profound thinker.

originating in or penetrating to the depths of one's being; profound grief.

being or going far beneath what is superficial, external, or obvious: profound insight.

of deep meaning; of great and broadly inclusive significance: a profound book.

pervasive or intense; thorough; complete: a profound silence.

extending, situated, or originating far down, or far beneath the surface: the profound depths of the ocean.

low: a profound bow.

noun Literary.

something that is profound.

the deep sea; ocean.

depth; abyss.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

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Origin of profound

1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French < Latin profundus deep, vast, equivalent to pro- pro-¹ + fundus bottom (see found²)

SYNONYMS FOR profound

1 deep, sagacious.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR profound ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR profound

1 shallow, superficial.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR profound ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM profound

pro·found·ly, adverbpro·found·ness, nounun·pro·found, adjectiveun·pro·found·ly, adverb

Words nearby profound

profiterole, profligacy, profligate, profluent, proformiphen, profound, profoundly deaf, profumo, profundity, profuse, profusion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for profoundly

Binding the resolution of my case to progress in the nuclear negotiations is profoundly unjust.
An American Marine in Iran’s Prisons Goes on Hunger Strike|IranWire|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Only now, when we were able to talk frankly and at length, did I come to realize how profoundly it had affected him.
Ted Hughes’s Brother on Losing Sylvia Plath|Gerald Hughes|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They profoundly question whether these programs will be available to them when they become eligible.
This Republican Loved Taxes & Modern Art|Scott Porch|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Republican base is profoundly larger than it was in 1964.
This Republican Loved Taxes & Modern Art|Scott Porch|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

New York is profoundly weak in engineering talent (PDF)—ranking 78th out of 85 metropolitan areas in engineers per capita.
Battle of the Upstarts: Houston vs. San Francisco Bay|Joel Kotkin|October 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It bores me profoundly, but it would bore me more to feel unkempt.
The Lady of the Basement Flat|Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
The most profoundly sympathetic, vivid and true portrait of Byron ever drawn.
The Millionaire Baby|Anna Katharine Green
Not having a heart of stone, I was so profoundly touched, that I would have tried to resume the subject.
My Miscellanies, Vol. 2 (of 2)|Wilkie Collins
Very beautifully and profoundly does the psalmist ask, in vv.
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Volume III|Alexander Maclaren
He was profoundly moved; his strong voice trembled, and his words came slowly.
Beauty and The Beast, and Tales From Home|Bayard Taylor

British Dictionary definitions for profoundly

profound

/ (prəˈfaʊnd) /

adjective

penetrating deeply into subjects or ideasa profound mind

showing or requiring great knowledge or understandinga profound treatise

situated at or extending to a great depth

reaching to or stemming from the depths of one's natureprofound regret

intense or absoluteprofound silence

thoroughgoing; extensiveprofound changes

noun

archaic, or literary a great depth; abyss

Derived forms of profound

profoundly, adverbprofoundness or profundity (prəˈfʌndɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for profound

C14: from Old French profund, from Latin profundus deep, from pro- 1 + fundus bottom

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

profound

adjective, pro·found·er, pro·found·est.

noun Literary.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Origin of profound

SYNONYMS FOR profound

ANTONYMS FOR profound

OTHER WORDS FROM profound

Words nearby profound

Words related to profoundly

Example sentences from the Web for profoundly

British Dictionary definitions for profoundly

adjective

noun

Derived forms of profound

Word Origin for profound