a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.
the power of exciting.
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
First recorded in 1715–25; variant of poll 1
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His heart seemed to speed up and then — pow — he was drenched in sweat.
From New York Times ● Mar. 9, 2023
His wife, Jenna Dramise, also posted on Instagram, saying “tonight I hope to ride some pow or bikes with you in my dreams.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 30, 2023
"Toy soldiers, all that jazz. Even now I'm like, 'pow, pow, pow,' on the tour bus."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2022
Certain arrivals deserve leisurely appreciation, dishes including pork pow, slightly chewy Chinese steamed buns filled with juicy crumbled pork and lit with habanero sauce.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 10, 2022
He made a loud pow sound and pretended like he had shot.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
The scenes in Kyiv contrasted with elation to the north, where 205 Ukrainian soldiers were freed in the latest POW exchange with Moscow.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
Ukrainian soldiers captured him 11 days later and sent him to a POW facility in western Ukraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
At first Gerard appeared primarily in commercials, representing companies including Ford, Coca-Cola and Proctor & Gamble until he landed the role of former POW Dr. Alan Stewart on NBC’s “The Doctors.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025
McCain was suffering from brain cancer and had dealt with a lifetime of health challenges due to his injuries as a POW in the Vietnam War.
From Salon ● Nov. 18, 2025
In real life I am moderately brave, but plenty of brave people shed their courage in POW camps, and maybe something similar goes on in the infinitely more congenial milieu of the low-wage American workplace.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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.
