powerful

[ pou-er-fuhl ]

/ ˈpaʊ ər fəl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR powerful ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having or exerting great power or force.

physically strong, as a person: a large, powerful athlete.

producing great physical effects, as a machine or a blow.

potent; efficacious: a powerful drug.

having great effectiveness, as a speech, speaker, description, reason, etc.

having great power, authority, or influence; mighty: a powerful nation.

Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. great in number or amount: a powerful lot of money.

Origin of powerful

First recorded in 1350–1400, powerful is from the Middle English word powarfull. See power, -ful

SYNONYMS FOR powerful

1 forceful, strong. Powerful, mighty, potent suggest great force or strength. Powerful suggests capability of exerting great force or overcoming strong resistance: a powerful machine like a bulldozer. Mighty, now chiefly rhetorical, implies uncommon or overwhelming strength of power: a mighty army. Potent implies great natural or inherent power: a potent influence.

5 influential, convincing, forcible, cogent, effective.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR powerful ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR powerful

1 weak.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR powerful ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM powerful

pow·er·ful·ly, adverb pow·er·ful·ness, noun o·ver·pow·er·ful, adjective o·ver·pow·er·ful·ly, adverb

o·ver·pow·er·ful·ness, noun qua·si-pow·er·ful, adjective qua·si-pow·er·ful·ly, adverb su·per·pow·er·ful, adjective ul·tra·pow·er·ful, adjective un·pow·er·ful, adjective

Words nearby powerful

powerboat, powerboater, powerboating, powerbroker, powered, powerful, powerhouse, powerless, powerlifting, powers, powers that be, the

Example sentences from the Web for powerful

They carved a refuge out of the wilderness and then, in 200 years, built it into the most powerful nation on earth.

Mario Cuomo, Always Moving Us Toward the Light |Mike Barnicle |January 4, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
In memoriam, Parker Molloy writes a powerful letter to Leelah.

Six Must-Read Stories About Gay Mormon Husbands and Iranian Drug Wars |The Daily Beast |January 3, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
It might be the most powerful affirmation, and perhaps even a feminist or political statement, from any public person this year.

Bow Down, Bitches: How Beyoncé Turned an Elevator Brawl Into a Perfect Year |Kevin Fallon |December 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It was fearless and raunchy and fun and ridiculous and weird and feminist and powerful.

Bow Down, Bitches: How Beyoncé Turned an Elevator Brawl Into a Perfect Year |Kevin Fallon |December 31, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

But taking such action puts them at odds with the most powerful and best-organized segment of their coalition.

How Public Sector Unions Divide the Democrats |Daniel DiSalvo |December 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
And there is no hope of success, but through our powerful Intercessor.

A Christian Directory (Part 2 of 4) |Richard Baxter
It appears that there is a powerful moral effect that follows this loss, as might, in the majority, be anticipated.

History of Circumcision from the Earliest Times to the Present |Peter Charles Remondino
Morey had been scanning the horizon with a pair of powerful binoculars.

Islands of Space |John W Campbell
With a powerful lever the soldiers attempted to prise open the door of the columbarium, shaking the edifice on its foundations.

The Death of the Gods |Dmitri Mrejkowski
In this manner did he indulge in the wild and uncouth glee of a savage as ferocious as he was powerful.

The Dead Boxer |William Carleton

British Dictionary definitions for powerful

powerful

/ (ˈpaʊəfʊl) /

adjective

having great power, force, potency, or effect

extremely effective or efficient in action a powerful drug; a powerful lens

dialect large or great a powerful amount of trouble

adverb

dialect extremely; very he ran powerful fast

Derived forms of powerful

powerfully, adverb powerfulness, noun

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

powerful

adjective

Origin of powerful

SYNONYMS FOR powerful

ANTONYMS FOR powerful

OTHER WORDS FROM powerful

Words nearby powerful

Example sentences from the Web for powerful

British Dictionary definitions for powerful

adjective

adverb

Derived forms of powerful

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

powerful

adjective

Origin of powerful

SYNONYMS FOR powerful

ANTONYMS FOR powerful

OTHER WORDS FROM powerful

Words nearby powerful

Words related to powerful

Example sentences from the Web for powerful

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adjective

adverb

Derived forms of powerful

British Dictionary definitions for powerful