profound

English

Etymology

From Middle English profound, from Anglo-Norman profound, from Old French profont, from Latin profundus, from pro + fundus (“bottom; foundation”).

Pronunciation

enPR: prə-found′, IPA^(key): /pɹəˈfaʊnd/
Audio (US): (file)
Rhymes: -aʊnd
Hyphenation: pro‧found

Adjective

profound (comparative more profound, superlative most profound)

Descending far below the surface; opening or reaching to great depth; deep.
- 1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
  A gulf profound as that Serbonian bog
Very deep; very serious
Intellectually deep; entering far into subjects; reaching to the bottom of a matter, or of a branch of learning; thorough
a profound investigation

a profound scholar

profound wisdom
- 1819, Washington Irving, The Sketch Book, English Writers on America:
  Where no motives of interest or pride intervene, none can equal them for profound and philosophical views of society, ….
Characterized by intensity; deeply felt; pervading
- c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
  How now! which of your hips has the most profound sciatica?
- 1860, Henry Hart Milman, History of Latin Christianity : including that of the popes to the pontificate of Nicholas V.:
  Of the profound corruption of this class there can be no doubt.
- 2019, Shelina Janmohamed, “Long before Shamima Begum, Muslim women were targets”, in Guardian‎^[1]:
  It’s probably one of the reasons the Shamima Begum case is having such a profound impact; one-dimensional stereotypes about Muslim women already run so deep.
- 2023 September 20, Nigel Harris, “Comment Special: And it's goodbye from me...”, in RAIL, number 992, page 3:
  I visited the wreckage at Ladbroke Grove, Hatfield. Potters Bar and Heck, and the experiences had a profound effect on me - especially Ladbroke Grove.
Bending low, exhibiting or expressing deep humility; lowly; submissive
- 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:
  And with this, and a profound bow to his patrons, the Manager retires, and the curtain rises.
- a. 1662, Brian Duppa, Holy Rules and Helps to Devotion, published 1683:
  What humble gestures! What profound reverence!

Translations

descending below the surface

Afrikaans: diep (af)
Bulgarian: дълбок (bg) (dǎlbok)
Dutch: diep (nl), diepgaand (nl)
Finnish: syvä (fi)
French: profond (fr)
German: tiefgehend (de)
Greek: βαθύς (el) m (vathýs)
Hungarian: mély (hu), mélységes (hu)
Italian: profondo (it) m
Macedonian: длабок (dlabok)
Ottoman Turkish: دریڭ (deriñ)
Persian: عمیق (fa) ('amiq)
Portuguese: profundo (pt)
Romanian: profund (ro), care e în adânc
Russian: глубо́кий (ru) (glubókij)
Spanish: profundo (es)
Turkish: derin (tr)
Welsh: dwfn (cy)

intellectually deep

Afrikaans: wys (af)
Bulgarian: проникновен (bg) (proniknoven)
Czech: hluboký (cs) m, oduševnělý
Dutch: wijs (nl)
Esperanto: profunda
Finnish: syvällinen (fi), syväluotaava
French: profond (fr)
German: tiefgehend (de)
Greek: βαθυστόχαστος (el) (vathystóchastos), περισπούδαστος (el) (perispoúdastos), εμβριθής (el) (emvrithís)
Hindi: गहन (hi) (gahan)
Hungarian: beható (hu), magvas (hu)
Italian: profondo (it) m
Korean: 심오한 (simohan)
Malay: mendalam
Maori: hōhonu
Ottoman Turkish: دریڭ (deriñ)
Persian: عمیق (fa) ('amiq)
Plautdietsch: deep (nds)
Polish: głęboki (pl)
Portuguese: profundo (pt)
Romanian: profund (ro), adânc (ro)
Russian: глубо́кий (ru) (glubókij), основательный (ru) (osnovatelʹnyj), му́дрый (ru) (múdryj)
Spanish: profundo (es)
Turkish: derin (tr)
Ukrainian: глибо́кий (hlybókyj), ґрунто́вний (gruntóvnyj)
Welsh: dwfn (cy)

characterized by intensity

Bulgarian: дълбок (bg) (dǎlbok)
Dutch: diepgaand (nl)
Finnish: perusteellinen (fi)
Greek: έντονος (el) m (éntonos)
Hungarian: alapos (hu)
Italian: profondo (it) m
Portuguese: profundo (pt)
Romanian: profund (ro)
Russian: глубо́кий (ru) (glubókij)
Spanish: profundo (es)
Welsh: dwfn (cy)

bending low

Greek: βαθύς (el) m (vathýs)
Hungarian: mély (hu)
Russian: ни́зкий (ru) (nízkij)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

French: profond (fr)
German: tief (de), profund (de)
Italian: profondo (it)
Portuguese: profundo (pt)
Romanian: profund (ro)
Swedish: djupsinnig (sv), klartänkt, skarpsinnig (sv)

Noun

profound (uncountable)

(obsolete) The deep; the sea; the ocean.
- 1638, George Sandys, A Paraphrase vpon the Divine Poems, Exodvs 15:
  God, in the fathomlesse profound / Hath all his choice Commanders drown'd.
(obsolete) An abyss.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 976-980:
  […] if some other place, / From your dominion won, th' Ethereal King / Possesses lately, thither to arrive / travel this profound. Direct my course […]

Verb

profound (third-person singular simple present profounds, present participle profounding, simple past and past participle profounded)

(obsolete) To cause to sink deeply; to cause to dive or penetrate far down.
(obsolete) To dive deeply; to penetrate.
- 1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:
  But no man is likely to profound tbe Ocean of that Doctrine

Related terms

Old French

Adjective

profound m (oblique and nominative feminine singular profounde)

(late Anglo-Norman) Alternative spelling of profont