Emily Dickinson Lexicon

profound (-er), adj. [OFr < L. profund-us, deep, high, vast, obscure, profound < prō-, before + fundus, bottom.] (webplay: learning, scholar, science, sea, wise).

1. Deep; unfathomable; incomprehensible; endless; eternal; [fig.] colossal; enormous; gigantic; immense.
2. Enormously important; tremendously vital; extremely critical.