profundity means the state of being profound; magnitude, gravity, or intensity. It carries an Arena rating of 1619, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, profundity ranks #593 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #802 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #2,157 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #4,780 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words.
profundity is pronounced /pɹəˈfʌndɪti/.
Why “profundity” is a great word
Profundity is the quality of possessing great depth, intensity, or intellectual insight. From Middle English profundite, from Middle French profundité or directly from its etymon Latin profunditās ('depth'), from profundus ('deep') + -itās ('-ity'). Unlike superficiality, which skims the obvious surface, or astuteness, which implies a sharp, practical shrewdness, profundity seeks the abyssal and the foundational. It is the diver's slow equalization of pressure in green-black water, the scholar's lifetime circling a single unanswerable question, and the resonant silence that follows a statement so true it halts conversation. It is the gravity that pulls thought downward, beyond the reach of easy light, where meaning waits like a subterranean river.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English profundite, from Middle French profondite or its etymon Latin profunditās; by surface analysis, prof(o)und + ity. Compare profoundness.
noun
- The state of being profound; magnitude, gravity, or intensity.e.g.“The situation's profundity escaped most observers.”
- Deep intellect or insight.e.g.“Near-synonyms: brilliance, genius”
- A great depth; a deep place.e.g.“Near-synonym: abyss”
- Depth; the state of possessing great downwards extent.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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