Basic Details
Word: Profusely
Part of Speech: Adverb
Meaning: In large amounts, or in a very generous, overflowing way. We use it for things like thanking, apologising, sweating or bleeding.
Synonyms: abundantly, lavishly, freely, copiously
Antonyms: sparingly, scantily
Word origin: From Latin profusus, poured out, from profundere, to pour forth.
How to Spell Profusely
Syllables: pro - fuse - ly
Tricky part: The middle is fuse, with a single s. Students often drop the e of profuse and write profusly.
Watch out for: profusly, prufusely, profuzely
Memory tip: Write the whole adjective profuse first and only then add ly. The e stays, just as it does when close becomes closely.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Rahul apologised profusely after spilling tea on his aunt's new sofa.
Example 2: The marathon runners were sweating profusely by the tenth kilometre.
Example 3: Bougainvillea grows profusely along the walls of old houses in Goa.
Fun Fact
The Latin verb behind profuse, fundere, to pour, also gave English the word refund: money poured back to you.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
When the last guests finally left the wedding hall, the bride's grandfather praised the caterers profusly for the wonderful food they had served.
a) profusly
b) grandfather
c) caterers
d) wonderful
Show answer
a) profusly. Profuse keeps its final e when ly is added, so one letter is missing from profusly.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word profusely as used in the sentence:
The cut on Kabir's knee bled profusely until the nurse pressed a clean pad on it.
a) rarely
b) briefly
c) slightly
d) heavily
Show answer
d) heavily. Bleeding profusely means losing a lot of blood; slightly points the other way.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
That June the old mango trees in our orchard fruited eylfoprus, and we sent baskets to every neighbour.
a) perfectly
b) purposely
c) profusely
d) profoundly
Show answer
c) profusely. Count the f's and p's: purposely has two p's and no f, and profoundly needs n and d, so only profusely fits these nine letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A person who apologises profusely ____.
a) asks someone else to say sorry
b) says sorry just once, quietly
c) refuses to say sorry at all
d) says sorry again and again
Show answer
d) says sorry again and again
2. Which noun belongs to the same word family as profusely?
a) profusion
b) procession
c) profession
d) provision
Show answer
a) profusion
