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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ample differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of ample are abundant, copious, and plentiful. While all these words mean "more than sufficient without being excessive," ample implies a generous sufficiency to satisfy a particular requirement.

ample food to last the winter

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

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

streams abundant with fish

When would copious be a good substitute for ample?

The meanings of copious and ample largely overlap; however, copious stresses largeness of supply rather than fullness or richness.

copious examples of bureaucratic waste

When is it sensible to use plentiful instead of ample?

In some situations, the words plentiful and ample are roughly equivalent. However, 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 ample 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 Combs’ defense team likely wants the jury to have ample time to reach a verdict to avoid antsy jurors rushing into a decision because of their looming holiday plans. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025 Past meetings have been criticized by residents for being full of presentations by city officials without ample time for questions and comments. Bay City News Service, Mercury News, 21 June 2025 In support of this, ensure the page is designed professionally, with ample white space, being sure to avoid visual clutter. Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for ample
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ample
Adjective
  • The Montage Kapalua Bay is an elegant resort offering spacious suites and exceptional service.
    Tanya Benedicto Klich, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
  • For its Luke tiny house, the firm connects a large and a small shipping container together, offering a surprisingly spacious interior layout that sleeps up to two people in comfort.
    Adam Williams June 13, New Atlas, 13 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
  • Never mind that the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was the largest women’s organization in the U.S. and provided public speaking opportunities for women at a time this was almost unheard of.
    Alice Burton, Vulture, 23 June 2025
  • The annual parade, which marks the unofficial start to summer, is the largest art procession in the U.S. since its start in 1983.
    Joanna Moriello, New York Daily News, 22 June 2025
Adjective
  • Others like Bill Gates, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Guy Fieri aren’t being so generous with their offspring.
    Ani Freedman, Fortune, 20 June 2025
  • Cho, as the perceptive and generous Jin, distracted from his own family troubles by the sudden flashes of Casey’s bright light, is wise and rejuvenated; disinterested admiration makes this man, who looks to be in his forties, nearly a teen-ager again.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • Grant recipients are dedicated to meeting basic humanitarian needs in the community and support a wide range of services such as mental health, housing support, youth development, education and senior services, a club news release said.
    Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
  • Touching on a wide range of topics, Obama delivered a history lesson about democracy and freedom with references to the Civil War, World War II, civil rights, solidarity in Poland, and the Berlin Wall.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ample.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ample. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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