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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective generous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of generous are bountiful, liberal, and munificent. While all these words mean "giving or given freely and unstintingly," generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift.

a generous offer of help

Where would bountiful be a reasonable alternative to generous?

The synonyms bountiful and generous are sometimes interchangeable, but bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing.

children spoiled by bountiful presents

When might liberal be a better fit than generous?

In some situations, the words liberal and generous are roughly equivalent. However, liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given.

a teacher liberal with her praise

When is munificent a more appropriate choice than generous?

The words munificent and generous can be used in similar contexts, but munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes.

a munificent foundation grant

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of generous Behind the bed, a retractable wall revealed a generous dressing area with thoughtful storage: a wide bench for suitcases, deep drawers, hangers, and just enough extras: yoga mats, oversized beach towels, umbrellas, buckets, and spades. Alli Forde, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2025 Jalisco is the only state in Mexico that offers this generous incentive. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 6 June 2025 There is a lot there to be impressed by but the generous eye relief also makes this pair of binoculars comfortable to use for those who wear glasses. Matt Morris, Space.com, 6 June 2025 The cockpit can be fitted with a solar Starlight Bimini providing generous shade. Kathleen Turner, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for generous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for generous
Adjective
  • Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.
    Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 7 June 2025
  • What started as a charitable gesture from The Salvation Army in 1938 has since evolved into an annual tradition for brands and customers alike.
    Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • The Malibu rum drinks were plentiful, the piles of pink sand underneath the beach chairs were pristine, and coolers full of sunscreen were stocked and bountiful.
    Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 30 May 2025
  • Bobcats are secretive, rarely seen predators that most often live in the foothills, canyons, mesa and plateaus where brush and woodland are plentiful, according to CPW.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Her brand at the time was something like the Obama of the antipodes: a liberal media darling, icon of the global anti-Trump resistance, transitioning smoothly from lofty oratory to easygoing relatability.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
  • Jackson, one of the court's most liberal justices, wrote that her colleagues may be unintentionally showing preferential treatment for the Trump administration.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • In support of this, ensure the page is designed professionally, with ample white space, being sure to avoid visual clutter.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 June 2025
Adjective
  • Elsewhere, organised crime still has its tendrils in many parts of the sport across the globe, and the misty-eyed reverence for benevolent local tycoons is a notion that went extinct before the Tasmanian tiger.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 June 2025
  • Another new motif was the eye, meant to represent here an omniscient but benevolent entity that accompanies and perpetuates knowledge in an unaltered state.
    Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 27 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Generous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/generous. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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