powerhouse
Americannoun
plural
powerhouses-
Electricity. a generating station.
-
a person, group, team, or the like, having great energy, strength, or potential for success.
noun
-
an electrical generating station or plant
-
informal a forceful or powerful person or thing
Usage
What does powerhouse mean? A powerhouse is a powerful, forceful, or dominant person, group, or thing. In a literal sense, a powerhouse is a station or plant that generates electricity. Although it can still be used this way, terms like power plant and power station are much more common. Powerhouse is far more commonly used in the figurative way, especially in context of sports and business. Example: Because they always win, they can always recruit the best players, which makes them a perennial powerhouse in the conference.
Etymology
Origin of powerhouse
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.
The plot still cries out for a flow chart, but the powerhouse fusion of Michele, Tveit and Christopher, overcoming all obstacles, has made this production one of the seismic events of the Broadway season.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
A splurge in public spending by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government was expected to kickstart a turnaround for the manufacturing powerhouse this year after several years in the doldrums.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
China in recent decades has grown into a shipbuilding powerhouse, churning out hundreds of vessels a year, often in dual-use shipyards that can build military and nonmilitary ships.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
As BTS takes to the stage again, and returns to Weverse, their fandom and their powerhouse performances will determine the verdict on their comeback.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
As she became better and better at the job, she became an intelligence powerhouse, able to advise the Coast Guard and other agencies on everything from potential dangers to easy targets.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
