PROFILE Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'profile' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of profile are contour , outline , and silhouette . While all these words mean "the line that bounds and gives form to something," profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background. // a portrait of her face in profile

Q: Where would 'contour' be a reasonable alternative to 'profile'?

The synonyms contour and profile are sometimes interchangeable, but contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled. // a car with flowing contours

Q: When might 'outline' be a better fit than 'profile'?

While the synonyms outline and profile are close in meaning, outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass. // traced the outline of his hand

Q: When could 'silhouette' be used to replace 'profile'?

In some situations, the words silhouette and profile are roughly equivalent. However, silhouette suggests a shape especially of a head or figure with all detail blacked out in shadow leaving only the outline clearly defined. // photograph in silhouette against a bright sky

profile 1 of 2

noun

Definition of profile

as in contour

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Dissimilar Words

as in character sketch

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profile

2 of 2

verb

as in to outline

to produce a representation of the shape of the head as seen from the side his likeness was profiled against a background of vegetation

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun profile differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of profile are contour, outline, and silhouette. While all these words mean "the line that bounds and gives form to something," profile suggests a varied and sharply defined outline against a lighter background.

a portrait of her face in profile

Where would contour be a reasonable alternative to profile?

The synonyms contour and profile are sometimes interchangeable, but contour stresses the quality of an outline or a bounding surface as being smooth, jagged, curving, or sharply angled.

a car with flowing contours

When might outline be a better fit than profile?

While the synonyms outline and profile are close in meaning, outline applies to a line marking the outer limits or edges of a body or mass.

traced the outline of his hand

When could silhouette be used to replace profile?

In some situations, the words silhouette and profile are roughly equivalent. However, silhouette suggests a shape especially of a head or figure with all detail blacked out in shadow leaving only the outline clearly defined.

photograph in silhouette against a bright sky

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 profile

Noun

Decide which platform will house the most complete customer profile and configure your integrations to keep it automatically updated. — Serenity Gibbons, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 His desire to keep a low profile served him well when times were good but created a void in times of crisis. — Austin Meek, New York Times, 21 July 2026

Verb

In 2025, Reid used Smith in the backfield, in the slot and out wide, and the additions of Walker and Demercado mean Smith should profile more as a package weapon and receiver in 2026. — Kansas City Star, 11 July 2026 Flight 13 will give SpaceX a chance to demonstrate that descent profile again using Ship 40, while also working through the booster and engine issues encountered during Flight 12. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for profile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for profile

Noun

Trying to perfect and smooth every contour of the face with injectables or fat grafting leads to patients’ heads getting larger and larger over the course of a few years.

— Ingrid Schmidt, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
Low piano notes gather tentatively; sostenuto woodwinds hover just above ground level; a rainstick adds contour and shading.

— Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 13 July 2026

Definition of contour

Verb

City outlines Robandee nuisances The Robandee was once a neighborhood hub but has since fallen into disrepair and has experienced fires.

— Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Soon after Burke was arrested, prosecutors filed a memo, which the defense unsuccessfully tried to have sealed, outlining their evidence at the hearing.

— Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 22 July 2026

Definition of outline

Noun

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who died on July 12, died as the man most obituaries call the architect of modern Qatar.

— Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
He was nominated for numerous awards and won an Angeles Ovation award and a Theater World Award, according to the obituary.

— Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026

Definition of obituary

Verb

Humans have never stopped trying to picture what a truly intelligent mind actually looks like.

— Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
The couple were pictured hanging out with Matt’s longtime friend, Ben Affleck, as well as Bruce Willis and his daughter, Rumer Willis, in this undated shot from the early aughts.

— Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026

Definition of picture

Noun

Instead of stopping there, the model reportedly built its own computer vision pipeline to extract geometry from the image’s raw pixels before reconstructing the part.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026
What many observers will underestimate is the importance of geometry; totality will be in the northwest, making the Mediterranean coast, where many resorts are, a poor choice.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of geometry

Noun

The 31-year-old Frenchman became the 39th player in league history and one of four active players to reach the mark.

— Josh Gross, Daily News, 26 July 2026
That rich history, cultivated over centuries of acting as a port and hub of cultural exchange, is visible throughout the city, much of which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

— Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 26 July 2026

Definition of history

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proficients

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profiled

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“Profile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profile. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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