profound Hear it!

profound Definition

pro·found (prō fo̵und′, prə-)

adjective

  1. very deep or low a profound abyss, sleep, etc.
  2. marked by intellectual depth a profound discussion
  3. intensely felt profound grief
  4. thoroughgoing profound changes
  5. unbroken a profound silence

Etymology: ME < OFr profund < L profundus < pro-, forward (see pro-) + fundus, bottom

noun

  1. Archaic an abyss or deep, as of the ocean
  2. something profound

Related Forms:

profound Synonyms

profound

modif.

  1. Physically deep

    fathomless, bottomless, subterranean; see deep 1.

  2. Intellectually deep

    learned, recondite, heavy, erudite, scholarly, abstruse, mysterious, sage, serious, sagacious, penetrating, discerning, knowing, wise, reflective, knowledgeable, intellectual, enlightened, thorough, informed, of great learning, immensely learned; see also intelligent 1, learned 2, solemn 1.

    Antonyms superficial*, shallow*, flighty. *

  3. Emotionally deep

    heartfelt, deep-felt, great; see intense.

profound Usage Examples

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • say: Von Rad said something profound, " Outside of God there's nothing to fear.
  • have: The Bible, and Mel Gibson's film, show that someone outside the church had something very profound to say about Jesus.

Modifies a noun

  • implication: The ability to exchange data with any computer system in the world has profound security implications.
  • effect: The battle would have a profound effect on the rest of the war.
  • deafness: In cases of severe to profound deafness, there may not be sufficient functioning hair cells for hearing aids to be effective.
  • influence: English maritime law has had a profound influence on world trade law.
  • impact: Socrates ' death had a profound impact upon Plato.
  • sadness: And we share the profound sadness for the nearly three thousand lives lost.

Modifying Another Word

  • potentially: The implications of buying medicines over the internet is potentially profound.
  • equally: But another was to ensue, probably equally profound and far more pregnant with awful an!
  • quite: The experience has a quite profound effect on me.
  • yet: Andrew Murray states Biblical truths in a simple, yet profound way that cut through theological jargon.
  • so: The issues involved are so profound they require rather more than a few minutes airtime.

Infinitive complement

  • say: The Bible, and Mel Gibson's film, show that someone outside the church had something very profound to say about Jesus.

Used with adjective complement

  • seem: Using the Latin makes an ordinary word seem profound.
  • become: Now with the advent of DVD, the story becomes more profound.
  • have: Each home has 5 or 6 residents, most of whom have quite profound learning difficulties.

Preposition: in

  • way: In fact, you are often profound in a way that surprises yourself.

Preposition: than

  • anything: This is far more profound than anything that facile creation spiritualities have to offer.
profound Quotes

It is not that the French are not profound, but they all express themselves so well that we are led to take their geese for swans.

—Brooks,VanWyck

In the final analysis, all architecture reveals the application of human ingenuity to the satisfaction of human needs. And among these needs are not only shelter, warmth and accommodation, but also the needs, felt at every moment in every part of the world in endlessly different ways, for something more profound, evocative and universal, for beauty, for permanence, for immortality.

—Nuttgens, Patrick

Alles, was tief ist, liebt die Maske. Everything profound loves the mask.

—Nietzsche, FriedrichWilhelm

Clear writers, like clear fountains, do not seem so deep as they are; the turbid look the most profound.

—Landor,Walter Savage