profoundnessn.
/prəˈfaʊn(d)nəs/, U.S. /prəˈfaʊn(d)nəs/, /proʊˈfaʊn(d)nəs/ a. The innermost part of the body. Obsolete. rare.
ΚΠ
?a1425 tr. Guy de Chauliac Grande Chirurgie (N.Y. Acad. Med.) f. 31v (MED) Inflacions..ar made of wynde gadred to gider somtyme..vnder þe skyn, somtyme..in þe membranez þat bene about þe profoundnez [L. circa profundum].
b. The quality of being physically deep; great depth; = profundity n. 1a. Also: downward or inward measurement; = profundity n. 1c. Also figurative. Obsolete.In quot. 1642 punningly, with reference to sense 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > vertical extent > extension downwards or depth > [noun] > great or considerable depth
deepnessc1384
lownessa1387
profundity?a1425
profoundness1509
depth1526
lowth1526
hownessa1605
profunditudec1616
profundeur1658
the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > vertical extent > extension downwards or depth > [noun]
deepc1000
deepnessc1330
depth1393
descending1571
profunditudec1616
profoundness1693
sidth1831
1509 H. Watson tr. S. Brant Shyppe of Fooles (de Worde) sig. Bi Of them thou can not be comforted but shall bewrappe the in the moost profoundnes of the extynguysshyble pyt infernal.
1586 R. P. tr. D. Ortúñez de Calahorra Third Pt. Mirrour of Knighthood i. iii. 51 Oh earth why doest thou not open and swallow me vp into thy profoundnesse.
1642 T. Fuller Holy State v. xiv. 411 The Butler makes him free..of his own fathers cellar, and guesseth the profoundnesse of his young masters capacity by the depth of the whole-ones he fetcheth off.
1693 T. Urquhart & P. A. Motteux tr. F. Rabelais 3rd Bk. Wks. xlix. 396 The Herb..never fixeth it self into the ground above the profoundness almost of a Cubit.
1782 F. Burney Cecilia V. x. vi. 286 Mr. Simkins..had scarce yet raised his head from the profoundness of his bow upon Cecilia's entrance.
1851 N. Hawthorne House of Seven Gables xi. 180 To take a deep, deep plunge into the ocean of human life, and to sink down and be covered by its profoundness.
2. † b. Craftiness, cunning; an instance of this. Obsolete.In quots. 1605, 1830 with reference to Revelation 2:24.
a. Depth of knowledge, thought, or meaning; = profundity n. 2a.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > depth, obscurity > [noun]
deepnessa1000
subtletya1387
difficultyc1405
mistiheadc1425
darknessc1450
obscurity1474
profoundnessc1475
obscureness1509
profundity1559
perplexity1563
opacity1575
darksomeness1583
perplexednessa1586
deptha1593
spinosity1605
abstruseness1628
abstrusity1649
inevidence1673
enigmaticalness1684
dark1699
indistinctness1704
confusion1729
reconditeness1779
obfuscity1832
oracularity1840
irrecognizability1847
recondity1856
unrecognizableness1865
crypticity1892
the mind > mental capacity > understanding > intelligence, cleverness > high intelligence, genius > [noun] > breadth, depth, strength of intellect
strengthOE
largenessa1382
profoundnessc1475
breadth1532
profundity1559
amplitude1575
deptha1593
powerfulnessc1595
universality1605
fathoma1616
spaciousness1657
comprehensiveness1683
grasp1683
altitudo1933
c1475 tr. A. Chartier Quadrilogue (Univ. Coll. Oxf.) (1974) 139 (MED) The iugementes of God..be of so depe profoundenesse that mannys vndirstandinge may neuere atteyne to the grounde.
1525 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles II. ccxxviii. [ccxxiv.] 714 They that wyll seke out the profoundnesse of the mater, maye well knowe fro whence ye came.
1575 Record's Grounde of Artes (rev. ed.) Pref. sig. A iij The ignorant sorte..do litle esteeme the profoundnesse of mannes spirit, and of reason.
1629 H. Burton Babel No Bethel 39 Shew vs your profoundnesse..in your reading of Bellarmine.
1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan iv. xliv. 347 Nor is it any shame, to confesse the profoundnesse of the Scripture.
1709 T. Hearne Remarks & Coll. 10 Sept. (O.H.S.) II. 254 A shew of Learning passes with them for profoundness.
1773 J. Boswell Jrnl. 22 Oct. in Jrnl. Tour Hebrides (1785) 428 Lady Lochbuy said, ‘he was a dungeon of wit;’ a very common phrase in Scotland to express a profoundness of intellect.
1842 G. Barmby in Promethean Feb. 38/3 Innovators are met with in..every century, who..combatted with it, some with violence, others with wisdom,..others with profoundness.
1874 J. R. Green Short Hist. Eng. People vi. §4. 299 In originality and profoundness of thought he [sc. Erasmus] was..inferior to More.
1916 Syracuse (N.Y.) Herald 7 Jan. He marveled at their polished and ornate style of speech, as well as at the profoundness of the meaning.
1946 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. 40 151 The profoundness and penetration that this group of volumes displays.
2001 Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News (Nexis) 9 Sept. (Final ed.) x.16 Maybe if we could find more times to go explore the poeticness and profoundness of the arts, we might be able to find more balance in our lives.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ability > skill or skilfulness > cunning > [noun] > deep or subtle
deepnessa1000
subtletyc1300
subtlehead1340
subtilitya1393
subtlenessa1398
subtiltyc1405
subtilesse?1473
subtileness1474
finesse1522
sleightness1526
profoundness1605
1605 F. Bacon Of Aduancem. Learning i. sig. L4v This is that which the Author of the Reuelation, calleth the depth or profoundnesse of Satan.
1749 Fifth Let. from Farmer 8 That he hath hitherto restrained his Propensity to Violence among you, shews as amazing a Check of Temper, as Profoundness of Stratagem.
1830 W. Hazlitt Party Spirit in Wks. (1904) XII. 402 Party spirit is one of the profoundnesses of Satan.
1841 Times 13 Mar. 4/2 Every year more and more developed the profoundness of Mr. Huskisson's policy.
3. Intensity, extremeness; = profundity n. 3.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > intense emotion > [noun] > intensity or depth
strengthOE
deepnessc1175
inliheadc1450
profundity1565
depth1597
keenness1600
profoundness1612
poignancy1745
poignance1812
intensity1830
inwardness1836
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [noun]
highnesseOE
strengthOE
altitude?a1475
vehemence1535
vehemency1546
profundity1565
height1601
profoundness1612
depth1624
intensenessa1631
exquisiteness1650
eminence1651
intensivenessa1656
intensity1665
1612 R. Sheldon 1st Serm. after Conversion 30 What a depth of humilitie, what a profoundness of meekenesse.
1659 W. Charleton Ephesian Matron 59 When any Widdow sighes and weeps at the funerall of her Husband; I compassionate the Reality and Profoundnesse of her Griefe, am afraid she should despaire.
1703 H. Hall tr. R. F. R. Bellarmino Soul's Ascension to God 219 The profoundness of his humility, and obedience.
1766 J. Fleetwood Life Jesus Christ 72/2 To express at once the greatness of her love, and the profoundness of her humility.
1858 Times 22 May 9/5 If sacred writ is still to furnish themes for our painters, it must be to those rarely-gifted spirits among them who can..feel with more profoundness of belief.
1884 Proc. Royal Soc. 38 31 This phenomenon of reflex cardiac inhibition as a result of gill stimulation is one that occurs..with a readiness and profoundness that are very striking.
1936 Times 12 Nov. 19/7 The profoundness of the silence which had settled over the congregation.
2001 Church Times 15 June 9/2 It is a burden of great profoundness to be with a loved one who is unable to die.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.?a1425