profound
Far beneath surface
Profound describes depth—intellectual, emotional, or physical.
A profound insight reaches below the surface.
Profound sadness is felt deeply.
Profound silence is complete and total.
A profound effect is far-reaching and significant.
The word suggests something worth pausing over, not merely surface-level: The experience had a profound impact on her worldview.
In medical contexts, profound can mean complete or severe: profound hearing loss.
Sudden profound insight
- realizationGrasping what's true
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
- clarityState of being understandable
understanding · discernment · perception · wisdom · sagacity · perspicacity · acumen · astuteness
Concerned with fundamental truths
- eruditeProfoundly knowledgeable
- scholarlyMarked by serious learning
- cerebralRelating to intellect
- analyticalExamining parts methodically
theoretical · abstract · metaphysical · existential · ontological · epistemological · dialectical · contemplative
Having significant effect
- consequentialHaving significant effects
- momentousOf great significance
- pivotalVitally important, deciding
- significantHaving notable importance
influential · weighty · substantial · transformative · life-changing · moving · touching · stirring
Immeasurably deep or obscure
- bottomlessHaving no base
- unfathomableBeyond comprehension or measurement
- immeasurableBeyond any quantification
- infiniteHaving no bounds
boundless · abyssal · cavernous · vast · immense · depths · unknowable · mysterious
epiphany
Sudden profound insight
- realizationGrasping what's true
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
clarity · understanding · discernment · perception · wisdom · sagacity · perspicacity · acumen · astuteness · intuition
philosophical
Concerned with fundamental truths
analytical · theoretical · abstract · metaphysical · existential · ontological · epistemological · dialectical · contemplative · meditative
impactful
Having significant effect
- consequentialHaving significant effects
- momentousOf great significance
- pivotalVitally important, deciding
significant · influential · weighty · substantial · transformative · life-changing · moving · touching · stirring · resonant
fathomless
Immeasurably deep or obscure
- bottomlessHaving no base
- unfathomableBeyond comprehension or measurement
- immeasurableBeyond any quantification
infinite · boundless · abyssal · cavernous · vast · immense · depths · unknowable · mysterious · ineffable
overwhelming
Intensely excessive in force
utter · complete · total · absolute · thorough · consuming · all-encompassing · visceral · raw · genuine
- sublimesublimity, grandeur, vastness, awe, majesty
- SAT vocabularyaesthetic, ambiguous, benevolent, candid, concise
- thought-provokingstimulating, fascinating, intriguing, engaging, compelling
- ___ silencedeathly, eerie, awkward, uncomfortable, stunned
- impactful wordspowerful, striking, dramatic, forceful, compelling
- qualitiesgood, bad, better, best, useful
profoundshallow
Without much depth
superficial · facile · trivial · simplistic · inane
profoundtrivial
Lacking significance or weight
insignificant · slight · negligible · minor · inconsequential
- profound lossDeep, lasting grief
- profound insightDeep, transformative understanding
- profound deafnessTotal auditory absence