clout

[klout]

noun

1. a blow, especially with the hand; cuff.

   The bully gave him a painful clout on the head.

2. Informal.,  pull; strong influence; muscle, especially political power.

   a wealthy campaign contributor with clout at city hall.

3. Baseball.,  a long hit, especially an extra-base hit.

   A hard clout to deep center field drove in the winning run.

4. Archery.

   1. the mark or target shot at, especially in long-distance shooting.

   2. a shot that hits the mark.

5. Also called clout nail. a nail for attaching sheet metal to wood, having a short shank with a broad head.

6. Archaic.

   1. a patch or piece of cloth or other material used to mend something.

   2. any worthless piece of cloth; rag.

   3. an article of clothing (usually used contemptuously).

verb (used with object)

1. to strike, especially with the hand; cuff.

2. Archaic.

   1. to bandage.

   2. to patch; mend.

clout

/ klaʊt /

noun

1. informal,  a blow with the hand or a hard object

2. power or influence, esp in politics

3. archery

   1. the target used in long-distance shooting

   2. the centre of this target

   3. a shot that hits the centre

4. Also called: clout nail. a short, flat-headed nail used esp for attaching sheet metal to wood

5. dialect

   1. a piece of cloth

      a dish clout

   2. a garment

   3. a patch

verb

1. informal,  to give a hard blow to, esp with the hand

2. to patch with a piece of cloth or leather

Other Word Forms

• clouter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of clout¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English clūt “piece of cloth or metal”; cognate with Middle Low German klūte, Old Norse klūtr

Word History and Origins

Origin of clout¹

Old English clūt piece of metal or cloth, clūtian to patch (C14: to strike with the hand); related to Dutch kluit a lump, and to _clod

Example Sentences

The clout of local mutual funds and ultra high-net worth individuals has been growing, Pershad added, noting that 2024 was the first time domestic institutional investors had a bigger presence than foreign ones.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The use of USD1 boosted World Liberty, hugely expanding its market cap and giving it new clout.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

India could strengthen its geopolitical clout if it can present itself as a reliable rare-earths supplier to the Western bloc, as it has around 8% of the world’s reserves, he says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Reasserting clout in international maritime institutions must be part of the U.S. shipbuilding and shipping revival strategy.

Read more on Barron's

But the political clout of American seniors, so graphically revealed this week, also raises more complicated issues.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• influence 
• prestige 
• sway 
• weight 

When To Use

What else does clout mean?

To have clout is to have influence or power. In popular culture, people with clout are seen as popular and cool.