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:
These megacap names had struggled earlier in the year, with even the mighty Nvidia trading sideways for months.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Still, Houston is at home and just hung in close with the mighty Bills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
After exhausting their own mighty cash flows, hyperscalers have gone on a borrowing binge that’s starting to worry credit investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
"We are a small but mighty nation. This is incredible," he said, adding "Diolch yn fawr iawn" - which means "thank you very much" in Welsh.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Samir and I catch each other’s glances and smile before I say, “Don’t forget our mighty steed.”
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
"Nobody is questioning that the American military is mightier and stronger than the Iranians'," Martin said.
From Barron's ● May 11, 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
Arizona possessed the bigger front line and a mightier offense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2023
No other blade, not though mightier hands had wielded it, would have dealt that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Books are super fuel for the human mind, the mightiest intellect on earth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 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
Donner Peak could get 12 to 18 inches of snow, and the California Highway Patrol is expected to require motorists to use chains to cross California’s mightiest mountain range.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2025
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
The storm that raged in him tonight could not uproot this hatred, the mightiest tree in all John’s country, all that remained tonight, in this, John’s floodtime.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
