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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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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 The profound connection between Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce is so uncanny as to prompt paranormal explanations. — Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026 Delving deeper into the podcast’s concept that consciousness may extend beyond the brain, the Telepathy Tapes film explores the profound abilities of nonspeakers with autism. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026 Few companies have had such a profound influence on how each generation dresses while continuing to evolve with the changing language of style. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026 Crystal’s deep and profound sorrow at the loss of his director and friend Rob Reiner, not to mention Robin WIlliams, are very much present in the show. — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 21 Oct. 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
  • George Bonanno, a psychologist at Columbia University, explains that many people who have intense symptoms initially—such as nightmares and flashbacks—won’t develop PTSD.
    — Maia Szalavitz, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Still, the competition among jewelers is becoming more intense, not only for sports team’s commissions but also to design ever flashier pieces with intricate details.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • Allow a chess player who’s a nerd to find some references in Wu… Iron Man was kind of esoteric.
    — John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • There’s as much effort gone into the food as there is the drinks menu, and the esoteric array of tropical flavors straddles both impressively.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of esoteric
Adjective
  • The tracks, the engineers, the data, the media attention, the sheer amount of racing—the Formula 1 World Championship consists of twenty-plus races, on five continents, in nine months.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The silhouette was mostly formfitting and streamlined, with emphasis at the hips and waist and a continuation of the contrasting sheer, black fabric running down the column skirt.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of sheer
Adjective
  • While countries like Sweden and France are pursuing similar deep geological repositories, Finland has officially crossed the finish line first.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • John Anderson, the beloved hitmaker known for his deep country warble, died on Wednesday at the age of 71.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of deep
Adjective
  • Just a half-hour north of San Diego, the property is comprised of over 600 acres of hills, meadows, Japanese gardens, and citrus groves, including 30 miles of private hiking trails and five acres of bio-intensive gardens.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • On the cost side, Zuckerberg did acknowledge that Muse is currently very compute-intensive.
    — Zev Fima, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of intensive
Adjective
  • Here, the defining aspect of Benjamin Button’s strange existence is love — lucky, steady, unconditional.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In 2024, Michigan State launched Rx Kids, the country’s first universal and unconditional prenatal and infant cash program.
    — Mona Hanna, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of unconditional
Adjective
  • Projects that communities had originally welcomed were suddenly met with fierce opposition, and companies had to improve.
    — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • What is to come afterwards is when their world is on fire as the fierce Battle Of Okinawa Island takes them , and us, back to sad reality.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • These accusations are utter nonsense, concocted from distortions, half-truths and lies.
    — Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The board’s first mission—to pacify and bring lawful governance to Gaza—has been an utter failure.
    — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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