Basic Details
Word: Profound
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Very great or strongly felt; also showing deep knowledge or understanding.
Synonyms: deep, intense, wise, serious
Antonyms: shallow, slight, superficial
How to Spell Profound
Syllables: pro - found
Tricky part: The vowel sound is written ou, as in found (not ow or u). Students also write per or pra at the start.
Watch out for: profownd, prafound, perfound, profund
Memory tip: Profound ends with found. Something profound is found deep down.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Her grandmother's death had a profound effect on her.
Example 2: The monk's answer was short but profound.
Example 3: There was a profound change in the town after the new bridge opened.
Fun Fact
Profound comes from Latin profundus, deep, and in older English it could describe a deep sea or a deep pit.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word profound as used in the sentence:
The old teacher's words had a profound influence on the young boy.
a) strong
b) lasting
c) deep
d) slight
Show answer
d) slight. Deep, strong and lasting all show a big effect; slight means very little.
Mingle-Mangle
The jumbled letters in the sentence hide a word. Choose it.
A fopndour silence filled the hall after the sad news.
a) profound
b) proud
c) prudent
d) profuse
Show answer
a) profound. Proud is too short, profuse needs an s and e, and prudent a t and e; profound uses all eight letters.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. profound 2. eloquant 3. melancholey 4. tranquill
a) a sad, gloomy mood that lasts
b) able to speak well and persuasively
c) calm and peaceful
d) very great or intense
Show answer
d) very great or intense. Eloquent, melancholy and tranquil each have a slip, so profound is the one written correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A profound thinker is one whose ideas are ____.
a) deep and wise
b) borrowed and dull
c) shallow and silly
d) few and simple
Show answer
a) deep and wise
2. In 'a profound sleep', profound means ____.
a) very deep
b) very early
c) very short
d) very noisy
Show answer
a) very deep
