profuse

adjective

pro·​fuse prə-ˈfyüs How to pronounce profuse (audio)
prō-
1
: pouring forth liberally : extravagant
profuse in their thanks
2
: exhibiting great abundance : bountiful
a profuse harvest
profusely adverb
profuseness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for profuse

profuse, lavish, prodigal, luxuriant, lush, exuberant mean giving or given out in great abundance.

profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.

profuse apologies

lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.

a lavish party

prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.

prodigal spending

luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.

a luxuriant beard

lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.

a lush green lawn

exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.

an exuberant imagination

Examples of profuse in a Sentence

He offered profuse apologies for being late. They were profuse in their thanks.
Recent Examples on the Web Snow Cone is unlike others, smothered in small but profuse white blooms. Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 27 May 2021 The flowers were so profuse they could be seen from space. The Editors, Town & Country, 19 Feb. 2021 Spatter cones, which are volcanic mounds built up on top of a vent or fissure emitting profuse amounts of lava, were confirmed to be vulnerable to collapse, suggesting they could be targeted in the future. Robin George Andrews, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2020 Material transformation is fundamental to ceramics, but what Yasunaga does with clay, glaze, ash and glass is radically inventive as well as profuse in metaphorical resonance. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 5 July 2019 Common symptoms include unexplained rapid weight loss, profuse coughing, night sweats and fever. USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2020 Inconveniently, though, profuse eruptions of lava began to flood the basin beginning roughly 3.6 billion years ago, forming a wide volcanic sea—also known as Mare Crisium, or the Sea of Crises—that covered up much of the original impact melt. Robin George Andrews, National Geographic, 13 Dec. 2019 Another profuse item in medical facilities is the sterilization pouch—a small, sealable pouch used to keep sterilized equipment free of germs. Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic, 4 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'profuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin profusus, past participle of profundere to pour forth, from pro- forth + fundere to pour — more at found

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of profuse was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near profuse

Cite this Entry

“Profuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profuse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

profuse

adjective
pro·​fuse prə-ˈfyüs How to pronounce profuse (audio)
1
: pouring forth in great amounts
profuse apologies
profuse in their thanks
2
: very plentiful
a profuse harvest
a profuse variety of minerals
profusely adverb

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