Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
generous - 4 dictionary results

gen⋅er⋅ous

[jen-er-uhs]
–adjective
1. liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish: a generous patron of the arts; a generous gift.
2. free from meanness or smallness of mind or character; magnanimous.
3. large; abundant; ample: a generous portion of pie.
4. rich or strong in flavor: a generous wine.
5. fertile; prolific: generous soil.

Origin:
1580–90; < MF généreux < L generōsus of noble birth, equiv. to gener- (see gender 2 ) + -ōsus -ous


gen⋅er⋅ous⋅ly, adverb
gen⋅er⋅ous⋅ness, noun


1. open-handed, free, unstinting. Generous, charitable, liberal, bountiful, munificent all describe persons who give to others something of value, or the acts of such persons. Generous stresses the warm and sympathetic nature of the giver: a generous gift; generous in praise of the work of others. Charitable places stress on both the goodness and kindness of the giver and the indigence or need of the receiver: charitable assistance to the needy; a charitable person, always willing to help those less fortunate than herself. Liberal, in this connection, emphasizes the size of the gift, the largesse and openhandedness of the giver: a liberal contribution to the endowment fund. Bountiful implies effusive, unstinted giving and a sense of abundance or plenty: bountiful and unrestricted support for the museum; a bountiful return for his efforts. Munificent refers to gifts or awards so large and striking as to evoke amazement or admiration: a life income, a truly munificent reward for his loyalty; a munificent contribution, larger by far than any other. 2. high-minded, noble, big. 3. plentiful, copious. 5. fruitful.


1. selfish. 2. mean. 3. meager. 5. barren.
gen·er·ous   (jěn'ər-əs)   
adj.  
  1. Liberal in giving or sharing. See Synonyms at liberal.
  2. Characterized by nobility and forbearance in thought or behavior; magnanimous.
  3. Marked by abundance; ample: a generous slice of cake.
  4. Having a rich bouquet and flavor: a generous wine.
  5. Obsolete Of noble lineage.

[French genereux, of noble birth, magnanimous, from Latin generōsus, from genus, gener-, birth; see genə- in Indo-European roots.]
gen'er·ous·ly adv., gen'er·ous·ness n.

Generous

Gen"er*ous\, a. [F. g['e]n['e]reux, fr. L. generous of noble birth, noble, excellent, magnanimous, fr. genus birth, race: cf. It. generoso. See 2d Gender.]

1. Of honorable birth or origin; highborn. [Obs.]

The generous and gravest citizens. --Shak.

2. Exhibiting those qualities which are popularly reregarded as belonging to high birth; noble; honorable; magnanimous; spirited; courageous. "The generous critic." --Pope. "His generous spouse." --Pope. "A generous pack [of hounds]." --Addison.

3. Open-handed; free to give; not close or niggardly; munificent; as, a generous friend or father.

4. Characterized by generosity; abundant; overflowing; as, a generous table. --Swift.

5. Full of spirit or strength; stimulating; exalting; as, generous wine.

Syn: Magnanimous; bountiful. See Liberal. -- Gen"er*ous*ly, adv. -- Gen"er*ous*ness, n.
Language Translation for : generous
Spanish: generosogeneroso,
German: freigiebig,
Japanese: 気前のよい

generous 
1588, from M.Fr. généreux (fem. généreuse), from L. generosus "of noble birth," from genus (gen. generis) "race, stock" (see genus). Originally "of noble birth," secondary senses of "unselfish" and "plentiful" were both present in Fr. and perhaps in Latin.
Search another word or see generous on Thesaurus | Reference