bounteous

B3O1U1N1T1E1O1U1S1
/ˈbaʊntiəs//ˈbaʊnʃəs/

adjective

Inclined to be generous.

“The house came with a bounteous yard.”

UncommonScrabble 11

Meanings

adjectivebounteous (comparative more bounteous, superlative most bounteous)

comparative more bounteous · superlative most bounteous · alternative obsolete bountious

  1. Inclined to be generous.

    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 more examples

    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

    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
  2. usuallyLiberal 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
    1 more example

    “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.

    1 more example

    He was a big man with a bounteous belly.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Frenchbontios
  2. Middle Englishbountevous
  3. Englishbounteous

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

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian щедър, богат
  • щедър (štedăr)inclined to be generous
  • богат (bogat)(of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant
  • обилен (obilen)(of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant
Czech štědrý, štědrý
  • štědrýinclined to be generous
  • štědrý(of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant
  • bohatý(of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant
French généreux
  • généreuxinclined to be generous
Hungarian bőkezű
  • bőkezűinclined to be generous
Polish szczodry, hojny
  • szczodryinclined to be generous
  • hojnyinclined to be generous
  • szczodry(of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant
  • hojny(of a gift, etc.) liberal or abundant
Spanish bondadoso
  • bondadosoinclined to be generous
Cite this entry
APA

bounteous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bounteous

MLA

“bounteous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bounteous. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bounteous,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bounteous.

Source: bounteous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.