profound

adjective

prə-ˈfau̇nd How to pronounce profound (audio)
Definition of profoundnext
1
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect a profound silence fell over the audience after the last note had sounded

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2
as in esoteric
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand a profound observation about good and evil that few listeners fully grasped

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sheer
having no exceptions or restrictions a profound dislike of frauds and phonies

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4
as in deep
extending far downward with eyes wide with disbelief, the explorers made their way through a canyon more profound than any they had ever imagined

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of profound This has profound implications for how business leaders think about workforce planning, skills development, and the employer-employee relationship. — Maria Black, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 The simple yet profound opportunity to create a life all rerouted and ultimately destroyed. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 Her music revealed a profound belief in the goodness of others and a witty, fiery insistence on remaining true to herself. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 30 Aug. 2026 With the married couple of Robert and Camille Sims careening off onto very different moral trajectories, Camille must confront troubling truths as her conscience plummets into the pits of Hades, while Robert is on a profound journey of salvation. — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for profound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profound
  1. intense
  2. esoteric
  3. sheer
  4. deep
  5. intensive
  6. unconditional
  7. fierce
  8. utter
Adjective
  • Utilities have raised rates to pay for wildfire prevention and recovery as climate change has made the blazes more intense and frequent.
    — Sophie Austin, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Electrolyte beverages can help replenish hydration after an intense workout or stomach bug.
    — Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • Baseball is a sport that thrives on statistics, no matter how esoteric, but there appears to be no record of a professional baseball player previously wearing a mechanical watch during a game.
    — Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The rereleased games are fascinatingly esoteric, too, including the GBC versions of Croc, Croc 2, Earthworm Jim, and the Japan-only GB shmup, Chikyu Kaiho Gun Zas.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of esoteric
Adjective
  • The facts of his biography, no matter how outrageous, could not possibly explain the sheer derangement of his output.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • This means investor scrutiny will extend beyond the sheer scale of AI investment to encompass debt burdens, capital costs, and return timelines.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sheer
Adjective
  • At the start of the year, Iceland Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Gunnarsdottir said that deeper dialogue and collaboration with the EU would be a key factor in shoring up the country's interests.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Thankfully, his reappearance in the show actually has a deeper purpose.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of deep
Adjective
  • By the twentieth century, intensive farming practices had left the South dangerously vulnerable to erosion, producing depleted swaths of land where kudzu would later flourish.
    — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The next day, Alex Pretti, an intensive-care nurse and a lifelong Catholic, was shot and killed by federal agents.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of intensive
Adjective
  • The capitulation of Germany is at hand, the Third Reich's unconditional surrender just days away.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Despite his resolve to be gentler and kinder than Cotton, Hank still struggles to articulate his unconditional love to his son, Bobby.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of unconditional
Adjective
  • Casemiro and Messi, fierce rivals when Casemiro was at Real Madrid and Messi at Barcelona, celebrated together, a rare sight for longtime La Liga fans.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Pearce was celebrating five years of Opry membership and would return later to channel many aspects of Dolly, from her humor and fierce independence to her Appalachian roots.
    — Chris Parton, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • This Ninth — featuring the Los Angeles Master Chorale and four superb vocal soloists (Saioa Hernández, Tamara Mumford, David Portillo and Ryan Speedo Green) — became Beethoven, alive in the moment, an instrument of utter joy.
    — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Sweet, aromatic, and bubblegum pink, this playful cocktail is the utter definition of fun.
    — Bradleigh Mobley, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of utter

Browse Nearby Words

profligates
profound
profoundly
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Cite this Entry

“Profound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profound. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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