pow
interjection
(used to express or indicate a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.)
pow
1 American
[pau]
/ paʊ /
interjection
noun
-
a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.
-
the power of exciting.
adjective
pow
2
American
[poh, pau]
/ poʊ, paʊ /
noun
Scot. and North England.
POW
3
American
Or
P.O.W.
POW
1
British
abbreviation
pow
2
British
/ paʊ /
interjection
pow
3
British
/ paʊ /
noun
pow
4
British
/ paʊ /
noun
Etymology
Origin of pow1
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
Origin of pow2
First recorded in 1715–25; variant of poll 1
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:
It will be followed by a public luncheon at the fairgrounds in Window Rock, a gospel celebration, a song and dance, a comedy show, a pow wow and an inaugural ball.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 9, 2023
"Toy soldiers, all that jazz. Even now I'm like, 'pow, pow, pow,' on the tour bus."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2022
But L.A. can be a weather pinball machine: a thing of beauty in repose, but flip the “on” switch, and pow, bang, ding-ding-ding — weather cacophony, more often than you might realize.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2022
And the first thing that happened, I threw a jab, pow, and my hands were still there.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2021
So I went to his gym, and every day I bounced around, pow pow pow, light as air on my feet, and then, boom! a hook you never saw coming.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
“Of course, we’re familiar with the history and the events,” said Matthew DeFelice, another forensic underwater archaeologist with the POW agency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Historians with the POW agency began combing through archives, including passenger rosters and survivor accounts, around the early 2010s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The POW swaps remain one of the few remaining areas of cooperation between the two sides, at war since Russia ordered troops into its neighbour in February 2022.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
Diplomatic sources told AFP that conditions are typically better in POW facilities than regular Ukrainian prisons.
From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026
I copy the address into the margin of my notes, and then outline it in zigzags like a comic book POW!
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions 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.
