Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective copious differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of copious are abundant, ample, and plentiful. While all these words mean "more than sufficient without being excessive," copious stresses largeness of supply rather than fullness or richness.

copious examples of bureaucratic waste

How do abundant and plentiful relate to one another, in the sense of copious?

Abundant suggests an even greater or richer supply than does plentiful.

streams abundant with fish

When can ample be used instead of copious?

While in some cases nearly identical to copious, ample implies a generous sufficiency to satisfy a particular requirement.

ample food to last the winter

When is plentiful a more appropriate choice than copious?

The words plentiful and copious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, plentiful implies a great or rich supply.

peaches are plentiful this summer

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of copious Enrich soil with a copious quantity of compost and, to be safe that your soil drains perfectly, create mounds that are several inches tall and a foot wide. Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 5 June 2025 All five models in the new JBL Bar Series provide copious amounts of power, expansive sound format support and high channel counts, with the three most premium models also shipping with detachable speakers that can be moved behind your seating position to deliver a full surround sound experience. John Archer, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 There was fire, howling and copious amounts of hip-shaking during Shakira’s two-hour Camping World Stadium show Wednesday night. Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 June 2025 Miranda, too, remains unlucky in love, but at least her story is good for some laughs and copious amounts of cringing (compliment). Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 30 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for copious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for copious
Adjective
  • The lavish Venice wedding of Jeff Bezos, the fourth-richest person in the world, is set to take place the same weekend as Squid Game Season 3’s release on Netflix.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 27 June 2025
  • The fourth-richest person in the world is set to have a lavish wedding in the Italian city, an event that has caused consternation online and in Venice.
    James Powel, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Passionate about helping people lead financially abundant lives through real estate.
    Neil Anders, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • This creates a direct relationship between energy innovation and AI capabilities; regions with abundant, reliable, and affordable energy will gain decisive advantages in computational power.
    Aya Saed, Time, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • But in the front, a tie waist just barely reveals swim bottoms underneath, which provide ample coverage while walking around the pool or beach.
    Claire Harmeyer, People.com, 23 June 2025
  • Spooning, with both partners on their sides, facing the same way, is a position that supports a wider range of abilities and provides ample skin-to-skin contact.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • In the lower layers of the mountain, similar veins were plentiful, and one was even enriched with clays.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025
  • The plentiful evidence for this is both quantitative and anecdotal.
    Richard Carleton Hacker, Robb Report, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Some locals in Venice, which has dealt with overtourism that has strained the city’s infrastructure and services for years, will protest the wedding over concerns its scale will worsen some of the issues created by excessive tourist crowds.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • According to Mock, your professional maid service will not have the proper tools to safely remove excessive mold issues.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
Adjective
  • Duck’s Cottage Coffee & Books offers its own coffee brand and a bountiful selection of books in what was once a 1920s-era hunt club.
    Kate Lewis, New York Times, 19 June 2025
  • Her hair, often styled by Peter Lux, was parted on her left side, with bountiful curls falling down her back.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • With vibrant, squiggly animation that relies heavily on archival imagery and a riotous sense of rhythm, Odermatt delivers a short that is both a parody and a love letter to one of opera and pop culture’s greatest 20th century icons.
    Jamie Lang, Variety, 7 June 2025
  • Devil May Cry Perhaps the show most tonally opposite to The Last of Us on this list, Netflix’s Devil May Cry is a riotous, colorful blast of punk energy.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 26 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Copious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/copious. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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