Meaning & use
profundities
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“profundities” is a form of “profundity”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralformal
Very deep, serious ideas or remarks, especially about life or human nature.
Grammar: Always plural in this sense; it takes a plural verb: 'The profundities of his speech were lost on me.'
Patterns
- the profundities of something
- utter profundities
The book is full of profundities about love and loss.
He nodded wisely, as if he understood all the profundities of the lecture.
Her essay moves from simple observations to real profundities.
nounpluralliterary
Things that are very deep, such as the deepest parts of the ocean.
Grammar: Used mainly in literary or scientific writing; it suggests great physical depth.
Patterns
- the profundities of the sea
- the profundities of space
Creatures live in the cold profundities of the ocean.
The poem describes light falling into the profundities of the cave.
Word forms
| singular | profundity |
|---|
Common combinations
- the profundities of life
- The novel explores the profundities of life through the eyes of a child.
- utter profundities
- His lecture was full of utter profundities that few students could follow.
- the profundities of the sea
- Scientists are still discovering species in the profundities of the sea.
Synonyms and how they differ
- depths
- More common and less formal; it can be used for both physical and emotional depth, while 'profundities' sounds literary.
- insights
- Focuses on useful understanding rather than on depth or seriousness.
Opposites
Word family
- profound adjective
- Very great, deep, or serious.
- profoundly adverb
- Very deeply or strongly.
- profundity noun
- The quality of being deep or serious.
Commonly confused: profundities or profusion?
profundities vs profusion
'Profusion' means a large amount of something; 'profundity' is about depth or seriousness. They look similar but mean very different things.
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'profundities' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Profundities' are deep, serious ideas, so it fits a speech about human nature. Options An and D confuse it with 'profusion' (a large amount), and C wrongly uses it as a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “profundities”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.