generous
Willing to give and share unsparingly; showing a readiness to give more (especially money) than is expected or needed.
Word facts
Definition of Generous
Noble in behaviour or actions; principled, not petty; kind, magnanimous.
Example sentences
Thank you for your generous words.
She's been extremely generous with her winnings.
Using Generous well
A closer look at how generous is used — meaning in plain English, how close synonyms differ, and examples at different levels.
Willing to give more of your money, time, or help than is expected, without wanting much in return.
Use it to praise open-handed giving or a warm, forgiving attitude, in both everyday and formal contexts. It also works figuratively for amounts that are pleasingly large, as in a generous helping.
Descriptions of people and their character, thank-you notes, reviews of food portions or salaries, and appreciations of someone's spirit or judgement.
Do not confuse with 'genuine'; the two look similar but 'genuine' means real or sincere, not giving.
- charitable
- Leans toward organized giving to those in need, or toward a kind, forgiving reading of someone's actions; narrower and slightly more formal than generous.
- openhanded
- A vivid, slightly literary way to stress freely giving money or resources; less common in speech than generous.
- magnanimous
- Formal and elevated; specifically about being big-hearted toward rivals or people who wronged you, not just about giving things.
- liberal
- In the sense of giving freely it sounds a bit old-fashioned, and the word now carries political meanings that can distract.
- bountiful
- Poetic and mostly about abundance itself, as with a harvest or a table; rarely used for a person's disposition today.
- stingy
- Blunt and disapproving; accuses someone of holding back money or help meanly.
- miserly
- Stronger and more literary, evoking someone who hoards wealth to an extreme.
- tight-fisted
- Informal and vivid, picturing a clenched hand that won't let money go.
- Beginner She was very generous and shared her lunch with me.
- In writing The museum owes its finest wing to a generous gift from a family that asked to remain anonymous.
- Advanced Even in defeat he was generous, praising the opponent's play before anyone thought to ask him about his own.
Think of a 'gen' who 'gives' rous-ing amounts — generous people freely give.
Synonyms for Generous
Antonyms for Generous
Related words
Words closely connected to Generous in meaning or use:
Words that rhyme with Generous
Try Generous in the word tools
Browse words near Generous
Explore more words that start with the letter G in Word Explorer, or use the A-Z browser to discover other vocabulary starting from any letter.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What does generous mean?
Willing to give and share unsparingly; showing a readiness to give more (especially money) than is expected or needed. It is an adjective.
How many syllables does generous have?
Generous breaks into 3 syllables — jeh·nur·uhs — when you say it aloud.
What part of speech is generous?
Generous works as an adjective. As an adjective, it describes or modifies a noun.
What are synonyms for generous?
You can often swap generous for benevolent, ample, lavish, kind, though each carries a slightly different shade of meaning.
How do you use generous in a sentence?
Example: "Thank you for your generous words."