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

Derived Forms

• ˈpowerfully, adverb
• ˈpowerfulness, noun

Other Words From

• 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

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

The Senate, by happenstance rather than design, has evolved into what Jonathan Chait aptly terms “the most powerful source of institutional racism in American life.”

From Vox

The Paleogene began with the detonation of an asteroid a billion times more powerful than a nuclear bomb, wiping out 75 percent of all plants and animals on the planet.

From Nautilus

Clearly, it’s a powerful way to help rescue restaurants and bars.

From Fortune

This summer Honeywell revealed a quantum computer that it claimed was more powerful than any other, as measured by an IBM’s own preferred quantum volume metric.

From Fortune

Then I carefully opened the trap and watched as the mole used its powerful front legs—as if doing a breaststroke—to burrow down into the leaves and dirt, disappearing in only a few seconds.

From Popular-Science

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

From The Daily Beast

In memoriam, Parker Molloy writes a powerful letter to Leelah.

From The Daily Beast

It might be the most powerful affirmation, and perhaps even a feminist or political statement, from any public person this year.

From The Daily Beast

It was fearless and raunchy and fun and ridiculous and weird and feminist and powerful.

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

Many of their cannon balls that fell far short of us, were collected and returned to them with powerful effect.

From Project Gutenberg

European tobacco is lacking in flavor and is less powerful than the tobacco of America.

From Project Gutenberg

He had seen through a powerful naval glass some figures standing erect and silhouetted against the sky on the parapet.

From Project Gutenberg

But green Chartreuse unhappily is not innocent; it is more than a spirit, it is a powerful drug.

From Project Gutenberg

The trains were pulled up the incline at the Lickey by powerful stationary engines.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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