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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective generous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of generous are bountiful, liberal, and munificent. While all these words mean "giving or given freely and unstintingly," generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift.

a generous offer of help

Where would bountiful be a reasonable alternative to generous?

The synonyms bountiful and generous are sometimes interchangeable, but bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing.

children spoiled by bountiful presents

When might liberal be a better fit than generous?

In some situations, the words liberal and generous are roughly equivalent. However, liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given.

a teacher liberal with her praise

When is munificent a more appropriate choice than generous?

The words munificent and generous can be used in similar contexts, but munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes.

a munificent foundation grant

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 generous The Senate version is even more generous, with permanent deductions of up to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 19 June 2025 Cargo space is generous for the segment, with room for 17 carry-on suitcases behind the rear seats and up to 31 when the second row is folded down. Josh Max, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025 Macs released since 2016 come in lower than either of these averages, indicating that Apple has been less generous to most Intel Macs since the Apple Silicon transition began. ArsTechnica, 17 June 2025 Some are generous, but most are lacking in adequate time, pay, flexibility, or realistic expectations. Justine Sterling Converse, Time, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for generous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for generous
Adjective
  • Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.
    Zev Fima, CNBC, 20 June 2025
  • Global health issues in the spotlight This photography competition, which was last held in 2021, is organised by Wellcome, a charitable foundation that supports health research around the world.
    Eva Amsen, Forbes.com, 19 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
  • For liberal leaning shows, that number shrinks significantly, around 1 million for MSNBC and 558,000 for CNN.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2025
  • It was joined by all the court's conservatives and liberal Justice Elena Kagan.
    Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Spooning, with both partners on their sides, facing the same way, is a position that supports a wider range of abilities and provides ample skin-to-skin contact.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • The boys play benevolent Nathan Fielder types helping their friend Karli rehearse an upcoming appearance on the popular social-media show SubwayTakes; the prompts she’s presented with in their VR simulator offer a perfect place to nest jokes.
    Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 26 June 2025
  • Murals across Iran feature his seemingly benevolent white-bearded face.
    Steve Inskeep, NPR, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Generous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/generous. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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