Profound vs Significant

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Profound

Formal Top 2,000 (common) C1 adjective

Significant

Top 1,000 (very common) B2 adjective

Most formal: Profound Most common: Significant

	Profound	Significant
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/prəˈfaʊnd/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/prəˈfaʊnd/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənt/"]/
Meaning	Very deep or serious.	Important or meaning a lot.
Example	Her speech was so profound that it left the audience in deep thought.	The research showed a significant improvement in patient outcomes.
Register	Formal	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 1,000 (very common)
CEFR level	C1	B2
Part of speech	adjective	adjective
Collocations	profound impact, profound thoughts, profound understanding, profound change, profound experience	be, prove, become, extremely, fairly, very, for, to
Antonyms	superficial, shallow	insignificant, trivial, minor
Common mistakes	Confused with 'profoundly' (adverb form)., Used incorrectly with trivial subjects., Overused in everyday language.	Confusing 'significant' with 'significance'., Using 'significant' as a noun instead of an adjective., Overusing 'significant' in casual speaking.
Usage notes	Used in serious discussions or academic contexts. Not commonly used in casual conversation. Appropriate when describing ideas, feelings, or experiences that have significant depth.	Used in academic and formal contexts to indicate importance. Avoid in very casual conversations; instead, use simpler words like 'big' or 'important'.

See it in real clips

"it's with the most profound sense of joy

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

I've had a profound thought, if anyone would care to listen.

"it's with the most profound sense of joy

A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms › S1 E1

I've had a profound thought, if anyone would care to listen.

Profound

But of all these anomalies, the most significant is this:

But what is significant is, I felt the touch of God.

But of all these anomalies, the most significant is this:

But what is significant is, I felt the touch of God.

Significant

Frequently asked questions: Profound vs Significant

What's the difference between Profound and Significant?

Profound: Very deep or serious. Significant: Important or meaning a lot.

Which is more formal: Profound and Significant?

Profound is the most formal of these.

Which is more common: Profound and Significant?

Significant is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Profound and Significant?

Profound is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.

Are Profound and Significant the same CEFR level?

Profound: C1, Significant: B2 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Profound and Significant?

Profound: adjective, Significant: adjective.

Can you show an example of each?

Profound: Her speech was so profound that it left the audience in deep thought. Significant: The research showed a significant improvement in patient outcomes.

Can I use Profound and Significant interchangeably?

Not always. Profound and Significant are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.