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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 The property encompasses a generous 10,000 square feet of land. Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025 However, his view changed after Southwest started selling tickets through third-party websites, like Kayak or Google Flights, which showed customers were choosing price regardless of how generous Southwest’s policies were. Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025 City officials said fees are going up so steeply because of generous pay raises won by nearly all city employees in 2023. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025 Long-time customers who favored Southwest for its generous baggage policies may reconsider their loyalty. Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 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.
    Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 Mar. 2025
  • By the late 1960s, Cindy Pritzker was a visible figure in Chicago’s charitable community, including co-chairing the annual Crystal Ball, a fundraising event that raised money for Michael Reese Hospital’s Medical Research Institute.
    Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Outdoor activities are plentiful, from the numerous hiking trails to the Contoocook River, which offers boating, fishing, kayaking, and paddleboarding.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2025
  • For example, cheap labor and service means women in major cities can outsource domestic tasks to workers who migrate into the cities, supplementing that free and plentiful childcare.
    Rocio Wu, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Teenagers in our study who disapproved of Trump were more likely to be female and Latino, Black or Asian, to have politically liberal parents, and to have parents or grandparents who were immigrants.
    Laura Wray-Lake, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Asheville, where the forum was held, is liberal, but the district overall is so Republican that the national Democratic Party did little to help impressive nominees in the last three elections.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The sturdy steel construction and ample 710 square inches of cooking area come at a budget price.
    Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Driving the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G550 The 2025 G550’s ample output shines just about everywhere, including having serious passing power on the highway.
    Peter Nelson, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The benevolent master of ceremonies left a care kit beneath each audience member's seat for the nearly four-hour show.
    Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
  • In Thai Buddhist lore, these trees, thousands of which spike Koh Samui, are home to benevolent spirits, says political scientist Pavin Chachavalpongpun, from the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Japan’s Kyoto University.
    Ronan O'Connell, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Generous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/generous. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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