copious

[koh-pee-uhs]

adjective

1. large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful.

   copious amounts of food.

   Synonyms: bountiful
   Antonyms: scarce, scanty

2. having or yielding an abundant supply.

   a copious larder;

   a copious harvest.

3. exhibiting abundance or fullness, as of thoughts or words.

   Antonyms: meager

copious

/ ˈkəʊpɪəs /

adjective

1. abundant; extensive in quantity

2. having or providing an abundant supply

3. full of words, ideas, etc; profuse

Other Word Forms

• copiousness noun
• copiously adverb
• copiosity noun
• overcopious adjective
• overcopiously adverb
• overcopiousness noun
• uncopious adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of copious¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin cōpiōsus “plentiful, rich,” from cōpi(a) “wealth” (from co- co- + op(s) “plenty, power, support” + -ia -ia ) + -ōsus -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of copious¹

C14: from Latin cōpiōsus well supplied, from cōpia abundance, from ops wealth

Synonym Study

See ample.

Example Sentences

He discovered American culture through copious hours of TV, with “The Simpsons” and comedian Conan O’Brien becoming key influences on his sensibilities.

From Los Angeles Times

"Those were my hedonistic years - I ate as much steak as I wanted and drank copious amounts of wine," he said.

From BBC

They drink copious amounts of liquor on friend trips to the Jersey shore, brown out and start calling their good friend’s brutalist bowling alley club a terrible idea.

From Salon

Their copious documentation proved invaluable to Hogan, who could get incredibly specific in some places and lean on creativity as needed elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times

There had been "copious levels of dishonesty" which had not been acknowledged in MI5's investigations into how it came to give false evidence.

From BBC

Related Words

• ample 
• extensive