Profound
adj.thoughtful, hopefulregister not recorded
Meaning 1
Reaching deeply into meaning, understanding, or feeling.
Reach for it when praising insight or emotion whose depth changes how the subject is understood
His question prompted a profound reconsideration of what the archive had omitted.
Choose between these
5- everyday
when accessible language should name intellectual or emotional depth
not when Deep is broad and can become vague without saying what changed.
- warm
when the depth is chiefly emotional
not when A moving experience may be simple or brief rather than profound.
- professional
when understanding reveals an important pattern
not when An insight can be sharp and useful without being profound.
- professional
when something stimulates serious reflection
not when Provoking thought does not guarantee depth or truth.
- formal
when fundamental questions about meaning or knowledge are considered
not when Philosophical material can be technical or detached rather than profound.
Meaning 2
Very great in degree or far-reaching in effect.
Reach for it when describing a strong consequential change rather than ordinary importance
The new crossing had a profound effect on access to the clinic.
Choose between these
4- warm
when the effect changes character or direction
not when Transformation can be practical and gradual rather than profound.
- professional
far-reaching
when effects extend across time, groups, or systems
not when Wide consequences can remain shallow in intensity or meaning.
- formal
when degree or magnitude is exceptionally large
not when Immense does not identify depth, meaning, or lasting effect.
- literary
momentous
when an event has great historical or personal consequence
not when It fits occasions and decisions better than feelings, knowledge, or silence.
Said against
3- superficial
- shallow
- minor
It naturally appears in
3- profound insight
The interview offered profound insight into how families adapted the ritual.
- profound effect
Reliable lighting had a profound effect on evening study.
- profound respect
Her profound respect for the craft included frank attention to its hazards.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective sense: intellectually or emotionally deep opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- wiktionary, English adjective sense: very great or intense opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.