abound

verb \ ə-ˈbau̇nd \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Examples: abound in a Sentence

Definition of abound

abounded; abounding; abounds

intransitive verb

1 : to be present in large numbers or in great quantity : to be prevalent

a business in which opportunities abound

errors and inconsistencies abound

2 : to be copiously supplied —used with in or with

life abounded in mysteries
—Norman Mailer

institutions abound with evidence of his success
—Johns Hopkins Magazine

See abound defined for English-language learners

See abound defined for kids

Examples of abound in a Sentence

They live in a region where oil abounds.
a city that abounds with art museums and private galleries

Recent Examples of abound from the Web

Yet rumors abound, with names being suggested as possibilities to fill the seat as an appointee, such as Cindy McCain, former Senator Jon Kyl, and former state attorney general Grant Woods.

— melissa daniels, BostonGlobe.com, "Arizona Republicans won’t talk about John McCain’s Senate seat," 17 June 2018
As downtown became denser and more commercialized, residents sold their homes and saw them subdivided into tenements or demolished for new construction, particularly on Bunker Hill, which once abounded with stately Victorians.

— steve carney, latimes.com, "Architecture Spotlight: Victorian is a stately, though needy, grande dame," 16 June 2018
Yet rumors abound, with names being suggested as possibilities to fill the seat as an appointee, such as Cindy McCain, former Sen. Jon Kyl and former state attorney general Grant Woods.

— Washington Post, "Arizona Republicans brush off talk about McCain Senate seat," 16 June 2018
Yet rumors abound, with names being suggested as possibilities to fill the seat as an appointee, such as Cindy McCain, former Sen. Jon Kyl and former state attorney general Grant Woods.

— melissa daniels, chicagotribune.com, "Arizona Republicans brush off talk about filling John McCain's Senate seat," 16 June 2018
The end of Ramadan is ushered in by Eid al-Fitr, a one- to three-day celebration abounding with culinary treats including sweet dishes like baklava and sheer khurma as well as more savory roti john and beef rendang.

— maritza moulite, CNN, "Eid al-Fitr: A healthy way to break the fast," 14 June 2018
The Illinois construction industry is thriving through opportunities created by Move Illinois, and opportunities continue to abound throughout the state.

— Lake County News-Sun, "Letters to the Editor," 6 June 2018
Garrel directed it after a decade of making experimental features (The Virgin's Bed, The Inner Scar) that abound with cryptic allusions and symbolic imagery.

— ben sachs, Chicago Reader, "L’Enfant Secret is so intimate it feels like a confession," 25 May 2018
The options abound in Houston with a luxury budget.

— nancy sarnoff, Houston Chronicle, "Houston vs. San Francisco: No competition when it comes to home prices," 22 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abound.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of abound

Middle English abounden, borrowed from Anglo-French abunder, borrowed from Latin abundāre "to overflow, be full, be plentifully supplied (with)," from ab- ab- + undāre "to rise in waves, surge, flood," verbal derivative of unda "wave" — more at ¹water

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

abound Synonyms

Synonyms

brim, bristle, bulge, burst, bustle, buzz, crawl, hum, overflow, swarm, teem;

Near Antonyms

lack, need, want;

ABOUND Defined for Kids

abound

verb \ ə-ˈbau̇nd \

Definition of abound for Students

abounded; abounding

1 : to be plentiful : teem

Salmon abound in the river.

2 : to be fully supplied

The book abounds with pictures.

Word Root of abound

The Latin word unda, meaning “wave,” gives us the root und. Words from the Latin unda have something to do with waves. To undulate is to move up and down like a wave. To inundate is to cover with a flood of waves. To surround, or encircle on all sides, is to enclose as if by waves. To abound is to be plentiful, like waves in the ocean.