Showing results for "clout"

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Slang dictionary results for clout.

clout

American  

[klout] / klaʊt /

noun

• clouts
  plural

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).

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verb (used with object)

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

2. Archaic.

   1. to bandage.

   2. to patch; mend.

clout British  

/ 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

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verb

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

2. to patch with a piece of cloth or leather

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• clouter
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clouts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of clout

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

Explanation

When you speak of someone having clout, it usually means that they communicate a sense of power or influence, particularly in the political sense. "You’ll wanna talk to that big guy over there if you want me to let you in. He’s got clout." Clout can also mean to hit someone really hard — either the hit you give (“that’s a big clout he just landed”) or the act of hitting (“she clouted him with a baseball bat”). Of course, the sense of having power and the actual hitting are related, since clout is something to be wielded — either physically or figuratively. Note: it's not just tough guys who have clout. China is said to have "growing economic clout," and Oprah is known to have significant clout in the media industry.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clout clouts

Even if Merz stays in post, his political clout and credibility, his room for manoeuvre inside a fractious coalition government, will be restricted.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

It was the family's connections and clout that Ira says persuaded her to withdraw her allegations against Bechi.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

Xi's diplomatic clout has also been on full display recently, having met this month with several leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, traveling to Bishkek, Cairo and New Delhi.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

Her gender and ethnicity once arguably worked against Kusama achieving clout in the art world in the early years of her work, but they eventually turned into major selling points.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

“Why can’t you marry me?” she demanded, ready to clout him again if he gave an uncomplimentary reply.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Kecmanovic gets himself to deuce on the Monfils serve, so Monfils clouts down an ace and quickly closes out.

From The Guardian ● Jan. 23, 2022

His clouts were described by The Times as “gigantic.”

From New York Times ● Oct. 22, 2021

The liner off Steve Trachsel, the shortest of McGwire’s mostly mammoth clouts that season, curled over the left-field wall at old Busch Stadium.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 9, 2015

The liner off Steve Trachsel, the shortest of McGwire's mostly mammoth clouts that season, curled over the left-field wall at old Busch Stadium.

From US News ● Oct. 9, 2015

“She’s gotten a hurt man down there,” said Jerry, “she has been runnin’ wi’ white clouts and bandages a’ the forenight.

From The Dew of Their Youth by S. R. (Samuel Rutherford) Crockett

Related Words

• influence
• prestige
• sway
• weight