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generous Definition

gen·er·ous (jen′ər əs)

adjective

  1. Obsolete of noble birth
  2. having qualities attributed to people of noble birth; noble-minded; gracious; magnanimous
  3. giving or sharing liberally and willingly; openhanded
  4. large; ample generous portions
  5. rich in yield; fertile
  6. full-flavored and strong: said of wine

Etymology: L generosus, of noble birth, excellent, generous < genus: see genus

generous Related Forms

gen′·er·ously adverb gen′·er·ous·ness noun

generous Synonyms

generous

modif.

  1. Open-handed

    bountiful, liberal, munificent, unselfish, charitable, altruistic, free-handed, beneficent, hospitable, philanthropic, prodigal, free, unsparing, unstinting, lavish, profuse.

    Antonyms stingy*, close*, tightfisted. *

  2. Considerate or favorable; said of conditions, terms, etc.

    liberal, magnanimous, unselfish, easy, fair, moderate, reasonable, handsome, princely, ungrudging, acceptable, just, equitable.

    Antonyms unfair*, unreasonable*, restrictive. *

  3. Noble

    honorable, chivalrous, magnanimous, bighearted; see noble 1, 2.

  4. Abundant

    ample, overflowing, large, bountiful; see plentiful 1, 2.

generous Usage Examples

Preposition: of

spirit: Generous of spirit and with a wry sense of humor, he was a highly competent soldier from whom young subalterns learned much.

Preposition: in

  • spirit: A government which is generous in spirit and competent in action.
  • size: Touring Caravans & Tents The pitches at Wooda are mostly level, closely mown and very generous in size.
  • term: Study bedrooms are very generous in terms of space and each has an en-suite shower and toilet with wheelchair access.

Modifies a noun

  • donation: Without their generous donation of the gift of life, lives would be lost.
  • benefactor: May God continue to bless all our generous benefactors.
  • sponsorship: Due to generous sponsorship, the company can perform for 75 per program.
  • bequest: Some years ago the late Jill Tuck, left a very generous bequest to the BEC.
  • hospitality: Everywhere we received generous hospitality; John greatly improved his skill with chopsticks during the course of the visit.
  • allowance: Good conditions of service include a generous leave allowance.

Modifying Another Word

  • extraordinarily: This is what one extraordinarily generous man from Exmouth, David Fisher, did.
  • overly: I think you're being overly generous toward Lazenby.
  • incredibly: So it is amazing that our incredibly generous readers have achieved that in less than two.
  • exceedingly: He was exceedingly generous to the church and delighted in giving gifts and receiving memorabilia.
  • extremely: Even being extremely generous in my words, Chris Tucker has THE most annoying role seen in any film to date.
  • fantastically: MPs qualify for a fantastically generous final salary pension scheme, with benefits underwritten by the public purse, of course.

Used with adjective complement

  • feel: So if you're feeling generous, please, help me get a free ipod.
  • seem: Doesn't it seem generous, given that the standard rate is 40 % ?
  • appear: If they initially appear generous, we might continue to see acts of kindness.
  • get: We need to mobilize, to get active and to get generous.