The deep; the sea; the ocean.
"The ship sailed into the profound depths of the Pacific Ocean where sunlight never reaches."
In plain English: A profound is not actually used as a noun because it describes how deep or intense something feels rather than being an object itself.
"The profound was evident in his deep understanding of human nature."
To cause to sink deeply; to cause to dive or penetrate far down.
"The heavy anchor sank so profoundly that it pierced the seabed and vanished from sight."
In plain English: To make something very deep and meaningful by thinking about it carefully for a long time.
"He did not profound, because no definition can truly replace personal experience."
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
"the differences are profound"
"a profound insight"
"a profound book"
"a profound mind"
"profound contempt"
"profound regret"
far-reaching and thoroughgoing in effect especially on the nature of something
"the fundamental revolution in human values that has occurred"
"the book underwent fundamental changes"
"committed the fundamental error of confusing spending with extravagance"
"profound social changes"
situated at or extending to great depth; too deep to have been sounded or plumbed
"the profound depths of the sea"
"the dark unfathomed caves of ocean"
"unplumbed depths of the sea"
"remote and unsounded caverns"
Descending far below the surface; opening or reaching to great depth; deep.
"The profound silence of the forest made it feel as though the trees were rooted in an endless, dark abyss."
In plain English: Profound means extremely deep and intense, often describing feelings that are very strong or ideas that change how you see everything.
"The professor's words had a profound impact on how I see the world."
Usage: Use profound to describe emotions, insights, or changes that are extremely intense and meaningful rather than physically deep. Avoid using it for literal depths unless referring metaphorically to something like a "profound silence."
The word "profound" comes from the Latin profundus, which literally meant "deep." It entered English through Middle and Anglo-Norman French to describe something that is very deep in meaning or feeling.