plentiful

/ˈplɛn.tɪ.fəl/
existing in large amounts

The market offers a plentiful supply of fresh fruits and vegetables.

The market has a large amount of fresh fruits and vegetables available.


neutral

Existing or available in large quantities; abundant

Thanks to the good harvest, there was a plentiful stock of grain for the winter.

The good harvest ensured there was enough grain to last through the winter.

She received plentiful praise for her outstanding performance.

She was praised a lot for her excellent work.

Often used to describe resources, supplies, or positive things like praise or opportunities.

Pro Tip

Avoid overuse with uncountable nouns

While 'plentiful' can modify both countable and uncountable nouns, it sounds more natural with countable nouns (e.g., 'plentiful apples') than with uncountable ones (e.g., 'plentiful water' is less common; 'plenty of water' is preferred).

Gold Rule

Use 'plentiful' for positive abundance

'Plentiful' implies a generous or desirable amount. Avoid using it for negative or undesirable excess (e.g., 'plentiful pollution' would sound odd; use 'excessive pollution' instead).

Word Origin

From Middle English *plentifull*, from Old English *plentiġfull* (full of plenty), equivalent to *plenty* + *-ful*. Cognate with Dutch *plentig*, German *plentiful* (archaic).

Usage Notes

Use 'plentiful' to emphasize the quantity of something desirable or useful. It is more formal than 'a lot of' or 'many' and often used in writing or formal speech.

Word Breakdown

plenty
a large or sufficient amount
root
+
-ful
full of; having the quality of
suffix
English Dictionary