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

Other Word Forms

• powerfully adverb
• powerfulness noun
• overpowerful adjective
• overpowerfully adverb
• overpowerfulness noun
• quasi-powerful adjective
• quasi-powerfully adverb
• superpowerful adjective
• ultrapowerful adjective
• unpowerful 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 bears have won out on Oracle’s stock lately, but one analyst thinks the powerful recent selloff just means more opportunity for buyers.

Read more on MarketWatch

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said on an earnings call last month that he thinks prediction markets will be a “powerful lever” to pressure states to legalize online sports betting.

Read more on Barron's

Lenacapavir, taken twice a year, has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9 percent, making it functionally akin to a powerful vaccine.

Read more on Barron's

The most powerful solar storm ever recorded was the Carrington Event in 1859, which knocked out telegraph lines across the globe.

Read more on BBC

"Together, they form a powerful cycle where outrage sparks engagement, algorithms amplify it, and constant exposure leaves us mentally exhausted," he said.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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