Dictionary

bounteous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈbaʊntiəs/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈbaʊnʃəs/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English bountevous, from Old French bontios; by surface analysis, bounty + ous.

Meanings

1. (of a person) Inclined to be generous.
   • Hail, univerſal Lord, be bounteous ſtill / To give us onely good; […] 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, 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:
   • Be bounteous at our Meale. Giue me thy hand, / Thou haſt bin rightly honeſt, ſo haſt thou […] c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 358, column 2:
   • Which with a bounteous hand was kindly lent c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 184:
2. (of a gift, usually) Liberal or abundant.
   • “I’d like to say it’s not just bounteous privilege, but it is. People like Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak, they’re incredibly cut off from the world. […] 2023 March 5, Miranda Sawyer, quoting Jason Williamson, “Sleaford Mods: ‘The UK is like a crazy golf course – all we’ve got left are landmarks’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • “Your Grace may be well assured,” said the Friar, “that, with the grace of Saint Dunstan, I shall find the way of multiplying your most bounteous gift.” 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter XL, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 266:
3. Large.
   • The house came with a bounteous yard.
   • He was a big man with a bounteous belly.

Forms

Deriveds

unbounteous · bounteousness · bounteously · overbounteous

Translations (16)

enm bountevous ((of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant) · pl hojny (inclined to be generous) · pl szczodry (inclined to be generous) · hu bőkezű (inclined to be generous) · bg обилен ((of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant) · pl szczodry ((of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant) · bg щедър (inclined to be generous) · pl hojny ((of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant) · fr généreux (inclined to be generous) · cs štědrý ((of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant) · bg богат ((of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant) · cs štědrý (inclined to be generous) · enm bountevous (inclined to be generous) · cs bohatý ((of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant) · sco roch ((of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant) · es bondadoso (inclined to be generous)