mighty
Americanadjective
-
mightier,
comparative
-
mightiest
superlative
-
having, characterized by, or showing superior power or strength.
mighty rulers.
- Antonyms:
- feeble
-
of great size; huge.
a mighty oak.
- Synonyms:
- sizable, tremendous, enormous, immense
- Antonyms:
- small
-
great in amount, extent, degree, or importance; exceptional.
a mighty accomplishment.
adverb
noun
adjective
-
-
having or indicating might; powerful or strong
-
( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the mighty
-
-
very large; vast
-
very great in extent, importance, etc
adverb
Usage
What does mighty mean? Mighty means extremely strong (as in a mighty warrior) or powerful (as in a mighty king). The noun might most commonly means great strength or power. People who are mighty in this way are sometimes referred to collectively as the mighty, in the same way that the rich is sometimes used, as in The rich and mighty hold all the power. The expression how the mighty have fallen is used to comment on a once powerful or popular person or thing that is now much less powerful or popular. Mighty can also mean of great size—especially big for its kind, as in a mighty oak. Less commonly, mighty means of great importance, as in a mighty accomplishment. Sometimes, mighty is used as a very informal way of saying very or extremely, as in That’s a mighty fine hat you’re wearing. This use of mighty can sound a bit old-fashioned or folksy. The adverb form of mighty is mightily. The phrase high and mighty is often used as an adverb meaning in an arrogant or self-important manner, as in Please stop acting so high and mighty—you’re not the boss here. It can also be used as an adjective, in which case it’s often hyphenated (high-and-mighty). The phrase can also be used as a collective noun in the same way that mighty can, as in The high and mighty take too much and give too little. Example: He was a mighty ruler, and his empire extended to the ends of the earth.
Synonym Usage
See powerful.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of mighty
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English mihtig; see might 2, -y 1
Explanation
Something that's mighty is large and powerful. Mighty Mouse is no ordinary mouse; he's a superhero. It's best not to mess with anyone with mighty in their name. A mighty beast in a fairy tale is ferocious and intimidating, and a mighty power in the business world exerts great influence. Colloquially, you can also use mighty to emphasize something, or to mean "extremely." This informal use is especially common in the U.S. South, where a host might say, "We're mighty glad to have you!" Mighty comes from the Old English root mæht, "strength or power."
Vocabulary lists containing mighty
"Death, be not proud" by John Donne
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"Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates"
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Strong
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Now, the lack of rain is reducing some stretches of the Danube and Rhine to mere trickles, threatening industry that has long relied on the mighty waterways.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The waters of the mighty Danube, Europe's second longest river, have dropped in parts to a record low due to prolonged rain shortages and successive heatwaves that have parched the continent since May.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
The angry sea god Poseidon is reduced to rumors; mighty Zeus withheld to a few well-timed thunderclaps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
On the page, the mighty ships are reduced to stray dots like mouse turds.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
But no, this wasn’t the sound of the Titanic’s mighty engines.
From "I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912" by Lauren Tarshis
The dollar has always been mightier than the size of the U.S. economy suggests it should be.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
But while his influence has certainly grown mightier over the decade since “The People v. O.J. Simpson” conquered the 2016 TV season, the quality and memorability of most of his work since has fallen.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026
The bigger the overshoot window, the mightier the cost.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 26, 2024
This reciprocity explains how we as a community have been able to “punch above our weight class,” that is, to be mightier than our small size might suggest.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 25, 2022
“A Fflam never shrinks from danger! The mightier the foe, the greater the glory! We shall seek them out, set upon them! The bards shall sing our praises forever!”
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
But draws against soccer royalty helped the Blue Sharks become the mightiest minnows the tournament has ever seen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
Like their hero, the only masculine strength they seem interested in is the kind performed for cameras, far away from real-world challenges that might easily defeat their self-image as the mightiest of men.
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2026
But as for who is mightiest between the two heavyweights, the 25-year-old said Tuesday's match will tell.
From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2025
Morgan, doing his mightiest to make a statement, which he did, went over from an Alex Mitchell pass.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025
Frey, the brother of Freya, was the mightiest of the Vanir.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
