compound 1 of 3

noun

ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd How to pronounce compound (audio)
Definition of compoundnext
as in mixture
a distinct entity formed by the combining of two or more different things mixed the chemicals together to form a new compound

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

compound

2 of 3

verb

käm-ˈpau̇nd How to pronounce compound (audio)
1
as in to increase
to make greater in size, amount, or number we compounded our error by waiting too long to call for help

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to connect
to put or bring together so as to form a new and longer whole the German language's propensity for compounding words

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

compound

3 of 3

adjective

ˈkäm-ˌpau̇nd How to pronounce compound (audio)
as in amalgamated
made from the joining of two or more parts or elements a compound word

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 compound
Noun
Jeff Bezos may have a beach house to go with his $237 million Miami compound. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 Research indexed by the National Institutes of Health finds that cloves are rich in antioxidants, compounds that reduce oxidative stress, a contributor to inflammation and chronic disease, and that cloves contain important vitamins and minerals. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
In the last year, a few companies have begun to market off-label prescriptions of GLP-1s, both branded and compounded, to treat alcohol use disorder and other addictions. — Katie Palmer, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026 That’s compounded by common misconceptions about state laws regarding each party’s role on the road. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Adjective
From 2019 to 2025, consumption of alcohol, as measured by servings, fell at a compound annual rate of 2%, according to analysis of preliminary industry data from IWSR, a drinks market research firm. — Jennifer Creery, Bloomberg, 21 May 2026 Most of that is compound growth. — Teresa Ghilarducci, Boston Herald, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for compound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compound
  1. mixture
  2. increase
  3. connect
  4. amalgamated
  5. blend
  6. accelerate
  7. couple
  8. composite
Noun
  • The distinction matters because responding to a signal and accurately classifying an unfamiliar chemical mixture are separate tasks.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The collagen-rich mixture gives the noodles their slippery texture, which Orlando complements with smoked chili, sunflower-seed miso, and fermented chili cream.
    — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of mixture
Verb
  • Kim Hong-Cheol, the South Korean military official, said leaving the dispute over the military demarcation line unresolved would increase the risk of accidental clashes because troops from both sides act on their own understanding of the line.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As rain chances increase overnight, the temperature will drop to 40 degrees.
    — Hali Smith October 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • Madsen connected with Jones for a 6-yard pass on the very first play of the game and didn’t slow down.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Part of that strategy is to connect with younger consumers, hence a recent partnership with 21-year-old livestreamer iShowSpeed along with innovating with menu items, branding, and store layout.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of connect
Adjective
  • Large language models train on amalgamated content from millions of writers to predict the next logical word.
    — Marissa Brassfield, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Traitors is about the gullible and the skeptical working together to sieve the fraudulent from the truthful, an amalgamated nightmare of village idiots locking themselves in the stocks and pelting each other with rotten fruit.
    — Raven Smith, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2026
Definition of amalgamated
Noun
  • The name came from the fact that the original cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg spice blend was the same as that used in pumpkin pie.
    — Rebekah Evans, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The blend of traditional and stop-motion animation is impressive, as is Kevin Michael Richardson’s Venom voice.
    — Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of blend
Verb
  • The car can accelerate from zero-60 in less than a second and perform feats that once belonged in science fiction.
    — Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The company says the changes are intended to make electric vehicles more affordable while accelerating development and manufacturing.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of accelerate
Verb
  • This discovery establishes a new way to couple mechanical motion and electricity at the smallest scales, opening new possibilities for molecular electronics.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Via Plinio, 32 Luca Marcellin’s 26-seat cocktail bar couples the conviviality of a neighborhood place with the intrigue of a speakeasy.
    — Jaclyn DeGiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of couple
Adjective
  • According to Albany, these capabilities could help move advanced composite designs from development into scalable manufacturing.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The audio quality is quite formidable, too, thanks to advanced drivers and triple composite diaphragms.
    — George Yang, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of composite

Browse Nearby Words

composure
compound
compounded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Compound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compound. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on compound

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about compound

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All