Synonym Chooser

How is the word profuse distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of profuse are exuberant, lavish, lush, luxuriant, and prodigal. While all these words mean "giving or given out in great abundance," profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.

profuse apologies

In what contexts can exuberant take the place of profuse?

The synonyms exuberant and profuse are sometimes interchangeable, but exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.

an exuberant imagination

Where would lavish be a reasonable alternative to profuse?

While in some cases nearly identical to profuse, lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.

a lavish party

When is lush a more appropriate choice than profuse?

In some situations, the words lush and profuse are roughly equivalent. However, lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.

a lush green lawn

When could luxuriant be used to replace profuse?

While the synonyms luxuriant and profuse are close in meaning, luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.

a luxuriant beard

When would prodigal be a good substitute for profuse?

The words prodigal and profuse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.

prodigal spending

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 profuse Spatter cones, which are volcanic mounds built up on top of a vent or fissure emitting profuse amounts of lava, were confirmed to be vulnerable to collapse, suggesting they could be targeted in the future. Robin George Andrews, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2020 Material transformation is fundamental to ceramics, but what Yasunaga does with clay, glaze, ash and glass is radically inventive as well as profuse in metaphorical resonance. Leah Ollman, latimes.com, 5 July 2019 Common symptoms include unexplained rapid weight loss, profuse coughing, night sweats and fever. USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2020 Inconveniently, though, profuse eruptions of lava began to flood the basin beginning roughly 3.6 billion years ago, forming a wide volcanic sea—also known as Mare Crisium, or the Sea of Crises—that covered up much of the original impact melt. Robin George Andrews, National Geographic, 13 Dec. 2019 See All Example Sentences for profuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profuse
Adjective
  • The lavish Venice wedding of Jeff Bezos, the fourth-richest person in the world, is set to take place the same weekend as Squid Game Season 3’s release on Netflix.
    Kayti Burt, Time, 27 June 2025
  • The fourth-richest person in the world is set to have a lavish wedding in the Italian city, an event that has caused consternation online and in Venice.
    James Powel, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Heavy pruning—removing one-third or more of a plant’s foliage—prompts copious amounts of new leaves to unfurl, which leaf miner moths prefer.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2025
  • Like all variants of Caribbean carnival celebrations, there’s copious drinking and dancing as the joy of being Black always supersedes any hardship.
    Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • Uranium supplies are abundant, and their prices aren’t nearly as volatile as the prices are for other fuels.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 June 2025
  • This, in turn, implies that substructures form much earlier than previously thought — while such disks are still abundant with gas and dust.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 26 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
  • According to Mock, your professional maid service will not have the proper tools to safely remove excessive mold issues.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 June 2025
  • Some locals in Venice, which has dealt with overtourism that has strained the city’s infrastructure and services for years, will protest the wedding over concerns its scale will worsen some of the issues created by excessive tourist crowds.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Not only that, but there are ample chances for folks to experience EVs firsthand, from Ford Performance ride alongs to a short test drive route behind the wheel of many new models.
    Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • Questions of spectacle and propriety circled the Mütter even then, but Worden’s ample charisma, her confidence in the validity of her own fascination, seemed largely able to keep them at bay.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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