adj · noun · verb · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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prə-found′
/pɹəˈfaʊnd/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -aʊnd
CMU ARPABET:P R OW0 F AW1 N D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Descending far below the surface; opening or reaching to great depth; deep.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Very deep; very serious.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Intellectually deep; entering far into subjects; reaching to the bottom of a matter, or of a branch of learning; thorough.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a profound investigation
a profound scholar
profound wisdom
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Characterized by intensity; deeply felt; pervading.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Bending low, exhibiting or expressing deep humility; lowly; submissive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
The deep; the sea; the ocean.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
An abyss.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To cause to sink deeply; to cause to dive or penetrate far down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
To dive deeply; to penetrate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
adjective
Meaning 10
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the differences are profound
a profound insight
a profound book
a profound mind
profound contempt
profound regret
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: superficial
11
adjective satellite
Meaning 11
situated at or extending to great depth; too deep to have been sounded or plumbed-Thomas Gray
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the profound depths of the sea
the dark unfathomed caves of ocean
unplumbed depths of the sea
remote and unsounded caverns
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unfathomed, unplumbed, unsounded
Antonyms: none provided
12
adjective satellite
Meaning 12
(of sleep) deep and complete
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a heavy sleep
fell into a profound sleep
a sound sleeper
deep wakeless sleep
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: heavy, sound, wakeless
Antonyms: none provided
13
adjective satellite
Meaning 13
coming from deep within one
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a profound sigh
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
adjective satellite
Meaning 14
of the greatest intensity; complete
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a profound silence
a state of profound shock
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
adjective satellite
Meaning 15
far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred
the book underwent fundamental changes
committed the fundamental error of confusing spending with extravagance
profound social changes
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fundamental
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English profound, profounde, from Anglo-Norman profound, from Old French profont, profonde, from Latin profundus (“deep, profound”), from prō + fundus (“bottom; foundation”).
Across languages
Translations
71 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
diep
— descending below the surface
Bulgarian:
дълбок
(dǎlbok)
— descending below the surface
Choctaw:
hofobi
— descending below the surface
Dutch:
diep
— descending below the surface
Dutch:
diepgaand
— descending below the surface
Finnish:
syvä
— descending below the surface
French:
profond
— descending below the surface
German:
tiefgehend
— descending below the surface
Greek:
βαθύς
(vathýs)
— descending below the surface
Hungarian:
mély
— descending below the surface
Hungarian:
mélységes
— descending below the surface
Italian:
profondo
— descending below the surface
Macedonian:
длабок
(dlabok)
— descending below the surface
Persian:
عمیق
('amiq)
— descending below the surface
Portuguese:
profundo
— descending below the surface
Romanian:
profund
— descending below the surface
Romanian:
care e în adânc
— descending below the surface
Russian:
глубо́кий
(glubókij)
— descending below the surface
Spanish:
profundo
— descending below the surface
Turkish:
derin
— descending below the surface
Ottoman Turkish:
دریڭ
(deriñ)
— descending below the surface
Welsh:
dwfn
— descending below the surface
Afrikaans:
wys
— intellectually deep
Bulgarian:
проникновен
(proniknoven)
— intellectually deep
Czech:
hluboký
— intellectually deep
Czech:
oduševnělý
— intellectually deep
Dutch:
wijs
— intellectually deep
Esperanto:
profunda
— intellectually deep
Finnish:
syvällinen
— intellectually deep
Finnish:
syväluotaava
— intellectually deep
French:
profond
— intellectually deep
German:
tiefgehend
— intellectually deep
Greek:
βαθυστόχαστος
(vathystóchastos)
— intellectually deep
Greek:
περισπούδαστος
(perispoúdastos)
— intellectually deep
Greek:
εμβριθής
(emvrithís)
— intellectually deep
Hindi:
गहन
(gahan)
— intellectually deep
Hungarian:
beható
— intellectually deep
Hungarian:
magvas
— intellectually deep
Italian:
profondo
— intellectually deep
Korean:
심오한
(simohan)
— intellectually deep
Malay:
mendalam
— intellectually deep
Māori:
hōhonu
— intellectually deep
Persian:
عمیق
('amiq)
— intellectually deep
Plautdietsch:
deep (nds)
— intellectually deep
Polish:
głęboki
— intellectually deep
Portuguese:
profundo
— intellectually deep
Romanian:
profund
— intellectually deep
Romanian:
adânc
— intellectually deep
Russian:
глубо́кий
(glubókij)
— intellectually deep
Russian:
основательный
(osnovatelʹnyj)
— intellectually deep
Russian:
му́дрый
(múdryj)
— intellectually deep
Spanish:
profundo
— intellectually deep
Turkish:
derin
— intellectually deep
Ottoman Turkish:
دریڭ
(deriñ)
— intellectually deep
Ukrainian:
глибо́кий
(hlybókyj)
— intellectually deep
Ukrainian:
ґрунто́вний
(gruntóvnyj)
— intellectually deep
Welsh:
dwfn
— intellectually deep
Bulgarian:
дълбок
(dǎlbok)
— characterized by intensity
Dutch:
diepgaand
— characterized by intensity
Finnish:
perusteellinen
— characterized by intensity
Greek:
έντονος
(éntonos)
— characterized by intensity
Hungarian:
alapos
— characterized by intensity
Italian:
profondo
— characterized by intensity
Portuguese:
profundo
— characterized by intensity
Romanian:
profund
— characterized by intensity
Russian:
глубо́кий
(glubókij)
— characterized by intensity
