Meaning

1 senses

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

Origin

Coined by the American poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892) in his poem “Song of Myself” publishe

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

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Forms

contains multitudes, containing multitudes, contained multitudes, contained multitudes
Base formcontain multitudes · to contain multitudes
3rd person singularcontains multitudes
Present participlecontaining multitudes
Past simplecontained multitudes
Past participlecontained multitudes

irregular

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theycontain multitudes
he, she, itcontains multitudes

Past simpleLesson

all personscontained multitudes

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave contained multitudes
he, she, ithas contained multitudes

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill contain multitudes

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
contactlesscontagionC2contagiouscontainB1containerA2containmentcontaminantcontaminateB2
contain multitudes — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto