generous

adjective

gen·​er·​ous ˈje-nə-rəs 

ˈjen-rə-

1

a

: liberal in giving : openhanded

a generous benefactor

b

: marked by abundance or ample proportions

wide overhangs and generous verandas

—Lewis Mumford

: copious

a thin salt-and-pepper moustache interrupted by a generous nose

—Richard Zabel

c

: characterized by a noble or kindly spirit : magnanimous, kindly

a generous heart

2

archaic : highborn

generously adverb

generousness noun

Synonyms

• charitable
• liberal
• benevolent

Choose the Right Synonym for generous

liberal, generous, bountiful, munificent mean giving or given freely and unstintingly.

liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given.

a teacher liberal with her praise

generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift.

a generous offer of help

bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing.

children spoiled by bountiful presents

munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes.

a munificent foundation grant

Examples of generous in a Sentence

The school raised the money through donations from generous alumni.

He was generous with both his time and his money.

She has always been very generous toward the poor.

This restaurant is known for its generous portions.

a generous helping of mashed potatoes

She has a generous heart.

He has generous sympathy for unemployed workers.

Recent Examples on the Web

The weekend changes to the bill were blasted by renewables trade groups, who had been pushing lawmakers for a more generous tax credit phaseout timeline for wind and solar projects. —Matt Egan, CNN Money, 30 June 2025

As much as people talk about the U.S. and other countries becoming ever more individualistic, generations of American kin are arguably growing closer on average, researchers told me, and becoming more generous with one another. —Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 30 June 2025

Both the House and Senate bills would phase out the more generous deduction for many households starting at $500,000. —Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

Since 2015 a generous artist residency program — cofounded by American artist Ryan Mitchell — has welcomed over 3,600 artists from 56 countries. —Denni Hu, Footwear News, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French genereus, from Latin generosus, from gener-, genus

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for generous

• ungenerous

Kids Definition

generous

adjective

gen·​er·​ous ˈjen-(ə-)rəs 

1

: free in giving or sharing

2

: noble entry 1 sense 5, high-minded

3

: abundant

a generous supply

generously adverb

generousness noun