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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
  • All the room types are spacious and luxurious, in a quirky, eclectic way.
    Kate Van Dyke, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2025
  • The beach itself is spacious, and the sunsets here are especially memorable.
    Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 27 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
  • Stablecoins are coming forward as one of the most plausible crypto applications for real-world transactions, and several of the largest retailers globally, including Walmart (NYSE:WMT), are taking note.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025
  • Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • 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
Adjective
  • Either way, this is launching into early access this July, so it won't be entirely finished or get a wider release just yet, but if Grounded is anything to go by it should be pretty good from the get-go either way.
    Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • The other fall and winter quarters are open to a wider range of SCAD courses including architecture, art history, fashion and fibers.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ample.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ample. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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