Dictionary

profundity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /pɹəˈfʌndɪti/
• (Southern-England) audio
• prəfŭn′dĭtē

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English profundite, from Middle French profondite or its etymon Latin profunditās; by surface analysis, prof(o)und + ity. Compare profoundness.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The state of being profound; magnitude, gravity, or intensity.
   • The situation's profundity escaped most observers.
2. (countable, uncountable) Deep intellect or insight.
   • Unfortunately, Andrew's colossal ego means people miss his profundity.
   • Near-synonyms: brilliance, genius
   • Also, he had legs which seemed to begin almost at his chest—or, rather, at his chin! Yet, for all his air of peacock-like conceit, his clothes sagged a little, and his face wore a sheepish air which might have passed for profundity. 1867, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter VI, in The Gambler, translated by C. J. Hogarth^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(1867)/VI):
3. (countable, uncommon, uncountable) A great depth; a deep place.
   • Near-synonym: abyss
   • I delved the abyssal profundities of Neptune's realm.
4. (archaic, countable, uncountable) Depth; the state of possessing great downwards extent.
   • [A] sharp-looking old dame, […] inhabited a "laigh [low] shop," anglicé [in English], a cellar, opening to the High-street by a strait and steep stair, at the bottom of which she sold tape, thread, needles, skeans of worsted, coarse linen cloth, and such feminine gear, to those who had the courage and skill to descend to the profundity of her dwelling, without falling headlong themselves, or throwing down any of the numerous articles which, piled on each side of the descent, indicated the profession of the trader below. 1816, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in The Antiquary. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 4:

Forms

Antonyms

shallowness · shallow · shoal · triviality · stupidity

Coordinates

cleverness · pseudoprofundity · pseudoprofundity

Deriveds

pseudoprofundity

Synonyms

deepness · abyss · genius · profoundness · profoundness · brilliance

Translations (12)

ota دریڭلك (state of being profound) · es profundidad (deep intellect or insight) · pt profundidade (state of being profound) · bg дълбочина (state of being profound) · bg проникновеност (deep intellect or insight) · la profunditās (deep intellect or insight) · la profunditās (state of being profound) · bg дълбочина (great depth) · pt profundeza (great depth) · la profunditās (great depth) · es profundidad (state of being profound) · hu mélység (great depth)