generous

B1 Topic:Describing People

US /ˈdʒɛnɝəs/ UK /ˈd͡ʒɛn(ə)ɹəs/ See IPA manual

adj Freq #3138

Meanings

1

adj
Willing to give money, time, or help freely.

She is very generous and often donates to local charities.
2

adj
Larger than usual; more than enough.

The restaurant serves generous portions at a fair price.
3

adj
Kind and willing to think well of others.

It was generous of you to forgive his mistake so quickly.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · willing to give money,... bountiful giving free

2 adj · larger than usual; more... comfortable ample

3 adj · kind and willing to think... magnanimous

More charitablefouthyfrolicgiftfulgoodwilly handsome jannock liberal munificentopen-handed

Opposites

stingy

Word family

Derived forms generously generousnessovergeneroussupergenerousungenerous

Related forms beneficentbeneficientgenerosity magnanimous philanthropic prodigal spendthrift unselfish

Common collocations

generous offer Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle French genereux, and its source, Latin generōsus (“of noble birth”), from genus (“race, stock”).

*ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European genereux Middle French generōsus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing People

# generous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈdʒɛnɝəs
**IPA (UK):** ˈd͡ʒɛn(ə)ɹəs
**Frequency rank:** 3138

## Meanings
1. Willing to give money, time, or help freely.
2. Larger than usual; more than enough.
3. Kind and willing to think well of others.

## Examples
- She is very generous and often donates to local charities.
- The restaurant serves generous portions at a fair price.
- It was generous of you to forgive his mistake so quickly.

## Synonyms
- charitable
- fouthy
- free
- frolic
- giftful
- giving
- goodwilly
- handsome
- jannock
- liberal
- munificent
- open-handed

## Antonyms
- stingy

## Derived Forms
- generously
- generousness
- overgenerous
- supergenerous
- ungenerous

## Related Forms
- beneficent
- beneficient
- generosity
- magnanimous
- philanthropic
- prodigal
- spendthrift
- unselfish

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ǵenh₁-
- Root: genereux
- Root: generōsus
- Affix: -ous - full of

## Etymology
From Middle French genereux, and its source, Latin generōsus (“of noble birth”), from genus (“race, stock”).

## AI Etymology
Generous comes from Middle French genereux, and its source, Latin generōsus (“of noble birth”), from genus (“race, stock”). In current use, the main senses are “Willing to give money, time, or help freely” and “Larger than usual; more than enough”.

## Topics
- Describing People

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