Abound
What it means
To exist or occur in notably plentiful amounts.
Reach for it when emphasizing that welcome things are easy to find in a place or situation
Small acts of neighborly care abound throughout the winter market.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday |
|
| warm | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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playful
Fits when the quantity exceeds ordinary bounds in a vivid image
Careful Overflow implies excess or spillage that abound does not.
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everyday
be plentiful
Fits when clarity matters more than compact style
Careful The phrase states quantity but loses abound's energetic sense of presence.
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warm
Fits when healthy growth or success is more important than sheer quantity
Careful A single project can flourish, whereas abound requires many instances or much supply.
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warm
Fits when living things are prospering rather than merely numerous
Careful Thriving says nothing about how many examples exist.
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formal
proliferate
Fits when rapid increase is the observable process
Careful Proliferate often carries alarm and clashes with praise of stable abundance.
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literary
teem
Fits when a place is vividly alive with numerous moving things
Careful Teem is awkward for abstract opportunities or evidence.
Opposites 3
- lack
- dwindle
- scarce
Common phrases 3
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opportunities abound
Opportunities abound for apprentices willing to learn from several trades.
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examples abound
Examples abound in the archive's newly catalogued letters.
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wildlife abounds
Wildlife abounds where the river meets the reed beds.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated