Word: profound (adjective)

Associations

The word "profound" means very deep, intense, or serious. It is often used to describe feelings, thoughts, effects, or knowledge that are strong and meaningful.

• The book had a profound impact on me. (The book changed me deeply.)
• She showed profound sadness after hearing the news. (Her sadness was very deep.)
• His speech was full of profound ideas. (His ideas were very thoughtful and important.)

A synonym is "deep," but "profound" usually suggests more importance or seriousness than just "deep." For example, "deep water" means physically deep, but "profound knowledge" means very important and serious knowledge.

Substitution

You can replace "profound" with:

• deep (for feelings or ideas, but less formal)
• intense (for strong feelings or effects)
• serious (for important or thoughtful meaning)

Changing the word changes the meaning slightly:

• "deep sadness" is emotional depth,
• "intense sadness" is strong emotion,
• "serious sadness" is important or significant sadness.

Deconstruction

"Profound" comes from Latin "profundus," where "pro-" means "forward" or "forth," and "fundus" means "bottom" or "depth." So it literally means "deep down" or "very deep."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a moment when you felt a profound emotion?
• What is a profound idea you have learned recently?
• How would you describe a profound change in your life?