Standard Lemma guide

powerful

adj · adv · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpaʊəfl̩/
  • General-American: /ˈpaʊɚfl̩/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P AW1 ER0 F AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having, or capable of exerting, power or influence.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Leading to many or important deductions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a powerful set of postulates
  • a powerful theorem

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: heavy

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Large; capacious; said of veins of ore.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, mining

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Being a powerful number.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: squareful

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

very; extremely

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Southern-US, archaic, dialectal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

having great power or force or potency or effect

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the most powerful government in western Europe
  • his powerful arms
  • a powerful bomb
  • the horse's powerful kick
  • powerful drugs
  • a powerful argument

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: powerless

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

displaying superhuman strength or power

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • herculean exertions

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: herculean

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

having great influence

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: potent

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

(of a person) possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a hefty athlete
  • a muscular boxer
  • powerful arms

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brawny, hefty, muscular, sinewy

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

strong enough to knock down or overwhelm

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a knock-down blow

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: knock-down(a)

Antonyms: none provided

11

adverb

Meaning 11

(Southern regional intensive) very; to a great degree

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the baby is mighty cute
  • he's mighty tired
  • it is powerful humid
  • that boy is powerful big now
  • they have a right nice place
  • they rejoiced mightily

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mighty, mightily, right

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English pouerful, powarfull. By surface analysis, power + -ful.

Across languages

Translations

138 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قَوِيّ (qawiyy) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Armenian: ուժեղ (užeġ) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Armenian: հզոր (hzor) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Armenian: զորեղ (zoreġ) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Asturian: poderosu — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Azerbaijani: güclü — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Basque: ahaldun — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Belarusian: мо́цны (mócny) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Belarusian: магу́тны (mahútny) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Belarusian: пату́жны (patúžny) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Bengali: শক্ত (śokto) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Bhojpuri: शक्तिशाली (śaktiśālī) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Breton: galloudeg — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Bulgarian: мо́щен (móšten) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Bulgarian: могъ́щ (mogǎ́št) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Catalan: potent — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Catalan: poderós — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Cherokee: ᎤᎳᏂᎩᏛ (ulanigidv) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Chinese Mandarin: 強大 /强大 (qiángdà) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Chinese Mandarin: 強勁 /强劲 (qiángjìng) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Chinese Mandarin: 強力 /强力 (qiánglì) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Corsican: putente — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Corsican: putenti — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Corsican: potente — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Czech: mocný — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Czech: účinný — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Danish: mægtig — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Dutch: machtig — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Dutch: krachtig — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Egyptian: wsr-s-r:D40 (wsr) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Esperanto: potenca — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Estonian: võimas — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Finnish: voimakas — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Finnish: vahva — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Finnish: mahtava — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Finnish: voimallinen — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Finnish: tehokas — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • French: puissant — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Friulian: potent — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Galician: poderoso — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Galician: potente — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Georgian: ძლევამოსილი (ʒlevamosili) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Georgian: ძლიერი (ʒlieri) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Georgian: გავლენიანი (gavleniani) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • German: mächtig — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • German: kräftig — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • German: kraftvoll — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 (mahteigs) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Greek: ισχυρός (ischyrós) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Ancient Greek: δυνατός (dunatós) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Ancient Greek: ἰσχυρός (iskhurós) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Hebrew: עוצמתי (‘otsmatí) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Hindi: शक्तिशाली (śaktiśālī) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Hindi: बली (balī) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Hindi: शक्तिमान (śaktimān) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Hungarian: erőteljes — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Icelandic: öflugur — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Icelandic: voldugur — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Icelandic: máttugur — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Icelandic: kröftugur — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Icelandic: kraftmikill — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Icelandic: valdamikill — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Ingrian: vahva — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Ingrian: see Thesaurus:vahva — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Irish: cumhachtach — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Irish: cumasach — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Irish: láidir — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Irish: éifeachtach — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Irish: neartmhar — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Irish: bríomhar — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Irish: tréan — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Italian: potente — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Italian: efficace — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Japanese: 強力な (kyōryoku na) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Japanese: 強い (tsuyoi) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Kazakh: күшті (küştı) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Khmer: ខ្លាំងពូកែ (khlangpuukae) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Khmer: ខ្លាំងក្លា (khlangklaa) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Korean: 강하다 (ganghada) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Korean: 강력하다 (gangnyeokhada) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Central Kurdish: کار بەدەست (kar bedest) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Central Kurdish: بەھێز (behêz) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Kyrgyz: күчтүү (küctüü) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Latin: imperiōsus — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Latin: potens — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Macedonian: моќен (moḱen) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Malay: berkuasa — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Eastern Mari: виян (vijan) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Mirandese: poderoso — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Mirandese: podroso — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Norman: piêssant — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kraftfull — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Norwegian Bokmål: mektig — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kraftfull — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: mektig — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Occitan: potent — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Occitan: poderós — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Old English: wealdende — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Old English: mihtiġ — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Persian: قوی (qavi) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Piedmontese: potent — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Polish: mocny — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Polish: potężny — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Portuguese: poderoso — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Portuguese: potente — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Romagnol: putént — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Russian: могу́щественный (mogúščestvennyj) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Russian: могу́чий (mogúčij) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Russian: мо́щный (móščnyj) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Russian: влия́тельный (vlijátelʹnyj) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Sanskrit: उग्र (ugra) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Sanskrit: विभूति (vibhūti) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Scottish Gaelic: cumhachdach — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Serbo-Croatian: мо̏ћан — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Serbo-Croatian: mȍćan — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Slovak: mocný — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Slovene: močan — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Spanish: poderoso — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Spanish: pudiente — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Swedish: mäktig — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Tajik: қавӣ (qavi) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Telugu: బలమైన (balamaina) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Telugu: శక్తివంతం (śaktivantaṁ) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Turkish: güçlü — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Ottoman Turkish: نفوذلو (nüfuzlu) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Turkmen: güýçli — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Ukrainian: могу́тній (mohútnij) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Ukrainian: міцни́й (micnýj) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Ukrainian: поту́жний (potúžnyj) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Unami: alëwilësi — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Uzbek: kuchli — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Vietnamese: mạnh mẽ — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Vietnamese: hùng mạnh — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Vietnamese: hùng cường — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Welsh: pwerus — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Yiddish: מעכטיג (mekhtig) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Yiddish: שטאַרק (shtark) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
  • Yiddish: כּוחדיק (koyekhdik) — having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence
Real reading context

powerful in complete knowledge articles