profuse

1 of 2

adjective

pro·​fuse prə-ˈfyüs 

prō-

1

: pouring forth liberally : extravagant

profuse in their thanks

2

: exhibiting great abundance : bountiful

a profuse harvest

profusely adverb

profuseness noun

profuseness

2 of 2

noun

pro·​fuse·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being profuse : profusion

it is Elizabethan in its profuseness

—Owen & Eleanor Lattimore

Synonyms of profuse

Adjective

• lavish
• copious
• abundant
• plentiful
• excessive
• ample

Choose the Right Synonym for profuse

profuse, lavish, prodigal, luxuriant, lush, exuberant mean giving or given out in great abundance.

profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.

profuse apologies

lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.

a lavish party

prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.

prodigal spending

luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.

a luxuriant beard

lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.

a lush green lawn

exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.

an exuberant imagination

Examples of profuse in a Sentence

Adjective

He offered profuse apologies for being late.

They were profuse in their thanks.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Definitely don’t be overly profuse or attempt to be complicated in whatever your request is. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025

The narratively profuse mystery game Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is like living in a Bikini Kill song followed by a Phoebe Bridgers ballad. —Harold Goldberg, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025

Dodgers officials, however, have been profuse in their praise of Betts since the start of the season. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024

Snow Cone is unlike others, smothered in small but profuse white blooms. —Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, 27 May 2021

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin profusus, past participle of profundere to pour forth, from pro- forth + fundere to pour — more at found

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for profuse

• abstruse
• abuse
• adduce
• atreus
• caboose
• cayuse
• conduce
• deduce
• diffuse
• disuse
• excuse
• footloose

Kids Definition

profuse

adjective

pro·​fuse prə-ˈfyüs 

1

: pouring forth in great amounts

profuse apologies

profuse in their thanks

2

: very plentiful

a profuse harvest

a profuse variety of minerals

profusely adverb