generous
gb/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs/ us/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs/
B1
Inglês
~ 9300
Aceções
0 aceções
adjective
B1
property
1
willing to give more than expected
Happy to give or share money, time, or help, often more than other people expect.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] is generous (with [something] / to [someone])
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes use *very generosity* instead of *very generous*. Remember: *generous* is an adjective (a generous person), while *generosity* is a noun (her generosity). Learners also confuse *generous* with *kind*; *kind* is about being nice, while *generous* focuses on giving time, money, or help.
Sinónimos
charitable (Often used when giving money or help to people in need or to organizations.)
|
open-handed (Stresses freely giving money or things without holding back; slightly more literary.)
|
giving (Informal and emotional; focuses more on kindness and care than on money.)
Antónimos
stingy (Unwilling to spend or give; strongly negative about a person's character.)
|
mean (In British English, often used to describe someone who hates spending or giving money.)
Colocações
generous with his time
|a generous donation
|a generous offer
|a generous gift
|a generous salary
|leave a generous tip
Temas
character
|relationships
|money
|daily life
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- She’s always generous with her time and never says no when someone needs help.
- Thank you for the generous donation to the school library fund.
- It was very generous of him to offer to pay for the whole trip.
- My grandparents are quite generous to the younger children at Christmas.
- The company has a generous policy on parental leave.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- My uncle is very generous and gives money to many charities.
- It was generous of you to help me move house.
- They are always generous with food when friends visit.
- Her boss was generous and let her go home early.
- He is not rich, but he is generous with what he has.
adjective
B2
property
2
larger or more than necessary
Big in size or amount, often more than you need or expect.
Padrão de uso:
a generous [amount/portion/helping] of [something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse this sense with the personal quality of being generous. If you say *a generous meal*, you are talking about size or amount, not about a kind person. Use this sense mainly before nouns like *amount, portion, helping, slice, salary, budget*.
Sinónimos
ample (Stresses having more than enough; slightly more formal.)
|
sizeable (Focuses on the amount being quite large, especially money or numbers.)
Antónimos
small (General opposite, focusing on size or amount being little.)
|
meager (Very small and not enough; has a negative, critical tone.)
Colocações
a generous amount
|a generous portion
|a generous helping
|a generous slice
|a generous budget
|a generous discount
Temas
quantity
|food
|money
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- The recipe calls for a generous amount of olive oil.
- They served a generous portion of pasta that easily fed two people.
- Employees receive a generous vacation allowance after their first year.
- The director gave the project a generous budget and plenty of staff.
- Add a generous spoonful of sugar to balance the acidity.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- He put a generous amount of cheese on the pizza.
- The hotel gave us a generous discount because it was low season.
- We enjoyed a generous breakfast at the guesthouse.
- She poured a generous glass of juice for each child.
- The company offers a generous salary for new workers.
adjective
C1
property
3
kind and forgiving in attitude
Thinking about other people in a kind, fair way, and ready to forgive them.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] is generous in [judging/forgiving/praising] [someone/something]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes think *generous* always talks about money. In this sense, it is about your attitude, not about giving things. Context with words like *spirit, heart, interpretation, attitude, victory* usually signals this meaning.
Sinónimos
kind (Very general; emphasizes warm, caring behavior without focusing on forgiveness.)
|
big-hearted (Informal; stresses warm, emotional generosity and readiness to forgive.)
|
magnanimous (Formal; especially when someone is kind and forgiving to a former rival or enemy.)
Antónimos
harsh (Unkind and severe when judging other people.)
|
mean-spirited (Having a small, unkind attitude; enjoys criticizing or hurting others.)
Colocações
a generous spirit
|a generous heart
|a generous interpretation
|a generous attitude
|be generous in victory
|be generous in praise
Temas
emotions
|relationships
|character
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- Even after the argument, she was generous enough to forgive him quickly.
- He offered a generous interpretation of her comments instead of assuming the worst.
- The winner was generous in victory and thanked her competitors warmly.
- Her generous spirit made everyone feel welcome and accepted.
- Critics were surprisingly generous in their reviews of his first novel.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- He is very generous and does not stay angry for long.
- The teacher was generous and gave the student another chance.
- She made a generous comment and said my idea was good.
- Try to be generous when you think about other people’s mistakes.
- Her generous heart helps her understand other people.
adjective
C1
property
4
producing or providing abundantly
Giving a lot of something, often used for nature, like land, rain, or space.
Padrão de uso:
generous [soil/rainfall/harvest/space]
Erro comum:
Learners may not recognize that *generous* can describe natural things like land, light, or space. In these cases it does not mean the land is *kind*, but that it gives a lot of what is needed.
Sinónimos
fertile (Used especially for land that can produce many plants or crops.)
|
abundant (Formal; emphasizes a very large quantity of something natural or available.)
Antónimos
barren (Used for land that cannot produce crops or plants.)
|
scarce (Describes something that exists in very small amounts or is hard to find.)
Colocações
generous soil
|generous rainfall
|a generous harvest
|generous sunlight
|generous storage space
Temas
nature
|agriculture
|environment
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- Thanks to the generous rainfall this year, the crops have grown exceptionally well.
- The region is blessed with generous soil that supports a wide variety of vegetables.
- Large windows provide generous natural light throughout the apartment.
- The kitchen offers generous storage space for pots, pans, and food supplies.
- The generous harvest allowed the farmers to sell extra grain in the market.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- The plants grow well here because the soil is generous.
- We had generous rain this summer, so the fields look green.
- This room has generous space for a big table.
- The house has generous light from the large windows.
- The farm gave a generous harvest this year.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
generous
IPA
GB/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs/
US/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs/
Sílabas e acento
gen - er - ous (3 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (gen)
Formas da palavra
Adjective
- Base: generous
Família de palavras
Core family
generosity
noun B1
generously
adverb B2
Negative and opposite forms
ungenerous
adjective
ungenerously
adverb
Advanced or less common
generousness
noun
Expressões
a generous helping of [something]
1/ə d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs hˈɛlpɪŋ əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
large serving of food
A big amount of food on your plate, more than a normal serving.
Exemplos
- She served everyone a generous helping of pasta.
- I’ll take a generous helping of salad, please.
- The dessert comes with a generous helping of fresh cream.
be generous in [doing something]
1/bˈi d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs ˈɪn dˈuɪŋ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
do something kind a lot
To do something kind or giving a lot, or in a strong way, for example praising or thanking people.
Exemplos
- She was generous in thanking everyone who had helped with the project.
- They were generous in their praise of the young actors.
- The reviewer was generous in acknowledging the strengths of the book.
be generous with [something]
1/bˈi d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs wˈɪθ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
use or give more than needed
To give or use a large amount of something, more than is needed or usual.
Exemplos
- When you cook this dish, be generous with the herbs and garlic.
- They were very generous with their time and stayed late to help us move.
- The teacher is generous with praise when students do well.
generous to a fault
1/d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs tə ə fˈɔlt/
idiom
so generous it causes harm
So generous that it can be a problem, for example because you give too much money or time.
Exemplos
- He’s generous to a fault and often ends up lending money he can’t afford.
- Her parents are generous to a fault and never say no to her requests.
- She’s generous to a fault, always putting others before herself.
in a generous mood
1/ˈɪn ə d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs mˈud/
fixed phrase
feeling ready to give a lot
Feeling like you want to give or share more than usual at that time.
Exemplos
- The boss must be in a generous mood today; everyone got a bonus.
- Ask your parents when they’re in a generous mood.
- He was in a generous mood and paid for everyone’s drinks.
on the generous side
1/ˈɔn ðə d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs sˈaɪd/
idiom
probably a bit too high or big
A little bigger, higher, or more than is correct, normal, or really true.
Exemplos
- Calling it a castle is on the generous side; it’s really just a big house.
- The estimate of two hours is probably on the generous side.
- Describing him as an expert might be on the generous side.
that's very generous of you
1/ðˈæts vˈɛɹi d͡ʒˈɛnɚəs əv jˈu/
fixed phrase
thanking someone for giving a lot
Used to politely say that someone is kind to give or offer so much.
Exemplos
- “I can drive you to the airport at 5 a.m.” – “That’s very generous of you, thank you.”
- It was very generous of you to invite my whole family for dinner.
- That’s extremely generous of you, but I really can’t accept such an expensive gift.