generous

generous — adjective

1. A generous person willingly shares their money, time, or other resources with ot

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

A generous person willingly shares their money, time, or other resources with others, often giving more than what is typically expected.

Example

Michael is generous with his time, often staying late to help younger students with their homework.

generous with + [time/resources]

It was generous of the Minh family to donate all the proceeds from their garage sale to the animal shelter.

it is generous of + [person] + to-infinitive

Common collocations
  • generous with money
  • generous with time
  • generous with praise
  • generous donation
  • generous offer
Synonyms
  • charitable

    More focused on giving to people in need, often through organisations; slightly more formal.

  • open-handed

    Informal and vivid; emphasises freely giving large amounts.

  • liberal

    Formal; can mean giving freely, but also carries a political meaning that can cause confusion.

Antonyms
  • stingy

    Informal; describes someone who hates to spend or share.

  • mean

    Informal British English; unwilling to spend money or share things.

Grammar Patterns

generous + with + [money/time/help/resources]

it is/was generous of + [person] + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Often followed by 'with' to specify what is shared (money, time, praise, help). The pattern 'it is generous of somebody to do something' is common in both formal and informal settings.

Common Mistakes

My boss is generous with me.
My boss is generous to me.
Use 'generous to + person' when referring to how someone treats a person, not 'generous with + person.'
She is generous to give money.
She is generous with her money.' or 'It was generous of her to give money.
The adjective cannot be directly followed by a to-infinitive without the 'it is ... of ...' frame.

2. A generous amount or portion is significantly larger than what is considered nor

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

A generous amount or portion is significantly larger than what is considered normal, necessary, or expected in a particular situation.

Example

The cafe serves generous slices of cheesecake that are easily enough for two people to share.

generous + food portion

Vikram received a generous scholarship that covered all his tuition fees and living expenses for four years.

Common collocations
  • generous portion
  • generous serving
  • generous slice
  • generous discount
  • generous raise
  • generous scholarship
  • generous amount
Synonyms
  • ample

    More formal; suggests more than enough space or quantity.

  • substantial

    Emphasises size or importance rather than abundance; often used for meals or sums of money.

  • lavish

    Suggests a luxurious or excessive quantity, not just 'more than usual'.

Antonyms
  • meagre

    Formal; describes an amount that is too small and insufficient.

  • skimpy

    Informal; describes an amount that is disappointingly small.

Grammar Patterns

generous + [portion/helping/amount/serving]

generous + [raise/reward/discount/offer]

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used attributively (before a noun) rather than predictively. It collocates strongly with nouns for food portions, financial amounts, and spatial measurements. No comparative or superlative form is common in this sense.

Common Mistakes

The cake was generous.
The cake was cut into generous slices.
Using 'generous' alone to describe a whole object sounds unnatural; specify which aspect is larger than usual.

3. A generous person treats others with kindness and fairness, especially by choosi

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

A generous person treats others with kindness and fairness, especially by choosing to believe the best about them, forgive their mistakes, or judge them less harshly than they might deserve.

Example

Jabari was generous in his praise of the opposing team after they narrowly defeated his side in the championship final.

generous in + [gerund/noun]

The principal took a generous view of the prank and gave the student a second chance.

take a generous view of + [something]

Common collocations
  • generous towards
  • generous to
  • generous in spirit
  • generous view
  • generous interpretation
  • generous assessment
Synonyms
  • magnanimous

    Very formal; describes someone noble and forgiving, especially after a victory or conflict.

  • lenient

    Focuses on being less strict or harsh in judgment; can sometimes imply weakness.

  • big-hearted

    Informal; warm and kind in a broad sense, covering both material and emotional generosity.

Antonyms
  • petty

    Describes someone who focuses on small faults and holds grudges.

  • spiteful

    Stronger; describes someone who deliberately hurts others.

Grammar Patterns

generous to/towards + [person]

generous in + [approaching/considering/judging]

take a generous view of + [something]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is about sharing material resources or time, whereas sense 3 is about offering emotional generosity — forgiveness, understanding, and a charitable interpretation of others' actions. Common in formal evaluations ('a generous assessment', 'a generous interpretation').

Common Mistakes

She was very generous on me.
She was very generous towards me.
The correct prepositions are 'to' or 'towards', not 'on.'

Word family

  • generously
    adverbB1
  • generosity
    nounB2
  • ungenerous
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These words all describe a willingness to give, but they differ in register and scope. Generous is the most neutral and widely used — it covers giving money, time, help, or emotional support. Charitable is more specific to formal giving for people in need, often through organised donations; calling someone 'charitable' can also imply a virtuous, almost religious motive. Open-handed is informal and vivid, suggesting a free, unstoppable flow of giving — it frequently appears in British English ('an open-handed gesture of support'). Liberal overlaps with 'generous' in its older sense of 'giving freely' ('a liberal donation'), but in modern usage it is heavily associated with political attitudes, so it can cause confusion. For everyday contexts, 'generous' is your safest choice. For example: 'She made a generous donation' is natural; 'She made a charitable donation' sounds like she gave to a charity specifically; 'an open-handed donation of £5,000' emphasises the free-spiritedness of the act; 'a liberal donation' is correct but may sound dated or political.

generous ↗charitable ↗open-handedliberal ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • generous donation
  • generous offer
  • generous portion
  • generous serving
  • generous gift
  • generous discount
  • generous raise
  • generous support

Adverbs

  • extremely generous
  • very generous
  • remarkably generous
  • surprisingly generous
  • unusually generous

Phrases

  • generous to a fault
  • generous of spirit
  • take a generous view of
  • a generous helping of

Prepositions

  • generous with
  • generous to
  • generous towards
  • generous in

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'generous' comes from the Latin 'generosus,' meaning 'of noble birth' or 'well-born.' In Latin culture, nobility was associated with having a fine character, and over time the meaning shifted from 'high-born' to 'magnanimous' to its modern sense of freely giving. The connection between noble lineage and moral virtue was so strong in Roman thought that the word crossed into Old French as 'genereus' and then into Middle English around the 1500s, gradually losing its class-based meaning and focusing entirely on the quality of being willing to share and give.