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.
Fleming added that he was "truly sorry" and "profoundly ashamed."
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
He paved the way for a second and third generation of L.A. theatrical mavericks, notably Peter Sellars and Yuval Sharon, who newly and profoundly alter perception.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
To the west it borders on a profoundly and bitterly estranged Europe.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
Again, a profoundly unusual incident in Mexican society.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
A masterpiece, then, is a work that contributes to our vision of life and leaves us profoundly moved.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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.
