Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

contain multitudes

/kənˌteɪn ˈmʌltəˌt(j)udz/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.69 in modern English

Syllables: con-tain mul-ti-tudes
IPA: /kənˌteɪn ˈmʌltəˌt(j)udz/

22

Scrabble Score

17

Letters

4

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To have a complex and apparently paradoxical nature; to be inconsistent, especially in a way that is ultimately admirable or noble.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"Do I contradict myself? / Very well then … I contradict myself; / I am large … I contain multitudes."
"Mirror in My House is both a portrait of the artist ([Seán] O'Casey himself) and a portrait of an artist (a fictional John-Johnny-Sean Casside who contains multitudes), yet it is the unrelenting single vision of a particular personality with a fixed point of view."
"[Sergei] Diaghilev would show Europe that Russia was large and contained multitudes: multitudes of social classes and occupations, and multitudes of indigenous musical styles, not all of them "Asiatic" or peasant."
"In taking on this new role, Boyd had learned that Les Miz's "bad guy" contains multitudes—not unlike the stars he sings about."

Etymology

Coined by the American poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892) in his poem “Song of Myself” published in Leaves of Grass (1855): see the quotation.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /kənˌteɪn ˈmʌltəˌt(j)udz/
British English: /kənˌteɪn ˈmʌltɪtjuːdz/

Usage

Intransitive verb

Inflected Forms

contains multitudes (present, singular) containing multitudes (participle, present) contained multitudes (participle, past) contained multitudes (past)

Questions

How do you pronounce contain multitudes?: The recorded pronunciation is /kənˌteɪn ˈmʌltəˌt(j)udz/.
What does contain multitudes mean?: To have a complex and apparently paradoxical nature; to be inconsistent, especially in a way that is ultimately admirable or noble.
Where does contain multitudes come from?: Coined by the American poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892) in his poem “Song of Myself” published in Leaves of Grass (1855): see the quotation.

How to pronounce contain multitudes

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “contain multitudes”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kənˌteɪn ˈmʌltəˌt(j)udz/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “contain multitudes”.
Repeat and practice — Say “contain multitudes” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.