Basic Details
Word: Profusion
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A very large amount or number of something, often more than enough, such as flowers, colours or ideas.
Synonyms: abundance, wealth, mass, plenty
Antonyms: scarcity, shortage, lack
Word origin: From Latin profusio, a pouring out.
How to Spell Profusion
Syllables: pro - fu - sion
Tricky part: Its last four letters are sion, sounded zhun as in confusion. Hearing a sh, some writers put tion instead.
Watch out for: profution, profussion, prufusion
Memory tip: Profusion and confusion end the same way: both are sion words with a single s after the u.
Usage Examples
Example 1: In spring the Amrit Udyan in Delhi blooms in a profusion of tulips and roses.
Example 2: The market stall had a profusion of bangles in every colour you could think of.
Example 3: Meera's essay had a profusion of ideas but no clear ending.
Fun Fact
Profusion and confusion come from the same Latin verb: confusion is things poured together, profusion is things poured out.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. profusion 2. ambigous 3. maintainance 4. perseverence
a) having more than one possible meaning
b) the work of keeping something in good condition
c) a very large amount of something
d) continuing to try in spite of difficulty
Show answer
c) a very large amount of something. Ambiguous lost a u, perseverance needs an a, and maintenance drops the ai of maintain; profusion alone is right.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
pr_fus_on
a) o, e
b) u, i
c) a, i
d) o, i
Show answer
d) o, i. Split it as pro-fu-sion: the prefix pro comes first and sion finishes the word.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The spice stall in the old market was a nsupfoior of colours and smells.
a) protrusion
b) provision
c) profusion
d) profession
Show answer
c) profusion. Provision needs a v and profession an e, and protrusion has no f; with an f and a u here, the word is profusion.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A garden described as having a profusion of roses has ____.
a) only one or two roses
b) a great many roses
c) roses made of paper
d) roses that have died
Show answer
b) a great many roses
2. Which word is the opposite of profusion?
a) abundance
b) scarcity
c) plenty
d) variety
Show answer
b) scarcity
