abound

verb

ə-ˈbau̇nd 

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

Synonyms of abound

• burst
• buzz
• teem
• bulge

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 on the Web

But mainstream outlets abound with criticism of every aspect of the war, including Israel’s role in it. — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026

The interviewer visibly panicked, and fans all over social media went bananas — jokes about Lacy’s impending assassination at the hands of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige abounded. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026

Bitter irony abounds, as when Nora, who is Black, attends a workplace mental health seminar in which a white, male supervisor who once mistreated her pretends to care about employees’ trauma. — Judy Berman, Time, 27 July 2026

From head coaching debuts to new arrivals, to comeback quests, position battles and more, the storylines abound across the league. — Mike Jones, New York Times, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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 water entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing abound

• abound in/with

Rhymes for abound

• aground
• around
• astound
• background
• campground
• clothbound
• confound
• earthbound
• eastbound
• expound
• fairground
• foreground

Kids Definition

abound

verb

ə-ˈbau̇nd 

1

: to be present in large numbers or in great quantity

wildlife abounds

2

: to be filled or abundantly supplied

a stream abounding in fish