powerful

[pou-er-fuhl]

adjective

1. having or exerting great power or force.

   Synonyms: strong, forceful
   Antonyms: weak

2. physically strong, as a person.

   a large, powerful athlete.

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

4. potent; efficacious.

   a powerful drug.

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

   Synonyms: effective, cogent, forcible, convincing, influential

6. having great power, authority, or influence; mighty.

   a powerful nation.

7. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S.,  great in number or amount.

   a powerful lot of money.

powerful

/ ˈpaʊəfʊl /

adjective

1. having great power, force, potency, or effect

2. extremely effective or efficient in action

   a powerful drug

   a powerful lens

3. dialect,  large or great

   a powerful amount of trouble

adverb

1. dialect,  extremely; very

   he ran powerful fast

Other Word Forms

• powerfully adverb
• powerfulness noun
• overpowerful adjective
• overpowerfully adverb
• overpowerfulness noun
• quasi-powerful adjective
• quasi-powerfully adverb
• superpowerful adjective
• ultrapowerful adjective
• unpowerful adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of powerful¹

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

He recognizes Mamdani as a powerful force, a fellow populist who, like the president, ran as an outsider against establishment candidates in his party and won.

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At a high level, they are both playing in all of the same sci-fi futures made popular when they were young: space, robots, EVs; and, more and more, aiming for powerful AI.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He knows having the support of a star player on one of L.A.’s biggest sports teams is a powerful statement.

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Epstein was, granted, among the uber rich and really powerful men.

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Popular images, such as the fearless adventurer, powerful fighter and skilled seafarer, have become familiar.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• all-powerful 
• authoritative 
• capable 
• compelling 
• dominant 
• dynamic 
• energetic 
• forceful 
• impressive 
• influential 
• mighty 
• persuasive 
• potent 
• robust 
• vigorous