profound

¹pro·found

adj \prə-ˈfau̇nd, prō-\

Definition of PROFOUND

1

a : having intellectual depth and insight b : difficult to fathom or understand

2

a : extending far below the surface b : coming from, reaching to, or situated at a depth : deep-seated <a profound sigh>

3

a : characterized by intensity of feeling or quality b : all encompassing : complete <profound sleep> <profound deafness>

— pro·found·ly \-ˈfau̇n(d)-lē\ adverb

— pro·found·ness \-ˈfau̇n(d)-nəs\ noun

Examples of PROFOUND

1. His knowledge of history is profound.
2. Her books offer profound insights into the true nature of courage.
3. the profound mysteries of outer space
4. a profound sense of loss
5. His paintings have had a profound effect on her own work.
6. Here, for the first time, a journalist gains access to the archive of one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies in history. Its contents, as much literature as science, offer profound insight into the human condition—and into the brilliant, complex mind of the study's longtime director, George Vaillant. —Joshua Wolf Shenk, Atlantic, June 2009
7. This isn't escapism, or denial of grief; it is acceptance of the facts of life, the map of profound relationship to the grief that is part of life … —Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters, 2005
8. The status of women, though probably the most profound single difference between the two civilizations, attracted far less attention than such matters as guns, factories and parliaments. —Bernard Lewis, What Went Wrong?, 2002
9. Despite all the respect, it was hard not to feel a twinge of schadenfreude at O'Hara's fall from esteem, which had caused him profound bitterness. —Kingsley Amis, Memoirs, 1991

Origin of PROFOUND

Middle English, from Anglo-French parfunt, profond deep, from Latin profundus, from pro- before + fundus bottom — more at pro-, bottom

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PROFOUND

Synonyms: abstruse, arcane, deep, esoteric, hermetic (also hermetical), recondite

Antonyms: shallow, superficial

Related Words: erudite, learned, scholarly; academic (also academical), pedantic; complex, complicated, hard; darkling, enigmatic (also enigmatical), inscrutable, mysterious, mystic, mystical, orphic, uncanny; impenetrable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, unintelligible; ambiguous, cryptic; unanswerable, unknowable; baffling, bewildering, confounding, confusing, disorienting, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling

Near Antonyms: easy, facile, simple, straightforward; comprehensible, fathomable, intelligible, understandable; apparent, clear, clear-cut, distinct, evident, lucid, manifest, obvious, perspicuous, plain, transparent

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Rhymes with PROFOUND

abound, aground, around, astound, background, bloodhound, boozehound, brassbound, break ground, campground, chowhound, clothbound, come round, compound, confound, coonhound, deerhound, deskbound, dumbfound, earthbound, eastbound, elkhound, expound, fairground, fogbound, foot-pound, foreground, foxhound, gain ground, go-round, greyhound, half-bound, hardbound, hellhound, hidebound, high ground, homebound, horehound, housebound, icebound, impound, inbound, ironbound, lose ground, newfound, newshound, northbound, outbound, playground, pot-bound, propound, rebound, redound, renowned, resound, rockbound, rock hound, scent hound, sight hound, sleuthhound, smooth hound, snowbound, softbound, southbound, spellbound, staghound, stone-ground, stormbound, strikebound, surround, to ground, top round, unbound, unround, unsound, well-found, westbound, wolfhound, year-round