Powerful Definition & Meaning

powerful
adverb
  1. (Southern regional intensive) very; to a great degree; "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"
adjective
  1. having great power or force or potency or effect; "the most powerful government in western Europe"; "his powerful arms"; "a powerful bomb"; "the horse's powerful kick"; "powerful drugs"; "a powerful argument"
  2. strong enough to knock down or overwhelm; "a knock-down blow"
  3. having great influence
  4. (of a person) possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful; "a hefty athlete"; "a muscular boxer"; "powerful arms"
  5. displaying superhuman strength or power; "herculean exertions"

Synonyms for powerful

almighty adj

having unlimited power terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

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brawny adj

(of a person) possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful; "a hefty athlete"; "a muscular boxer

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coercive adj

serving or intended to coerce; "authority is directional instead of coercive"

♫ Rhymes
cogent adj

powerfully persuasive; "a cogent argument"; "a telling presentation"; "a weighty argument"

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
compelling adj

driving or forcing; "compelling ambition" tending to persuade by forcefulness of argument; "new and compelling evidence"

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hefty adj

(of a person) possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful; "a hefty athlete"; "a muscular boxer

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
herculean adj

displaying superhuman strength or power; "herculean exertions" extremely difficult

♫ Rhymes
influential adj

having or exercising influence or power; "an influential newspaper"; "influential leadership for peace"

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mighty adv

(Southern regional intensive) very; to a great degree; "the baby is mighty cute"; "he's mighty tired

♫ Rhymes
muscular adj

of or relating to or consisting of muscle

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"Powerful" in song lyrics

See how powerful is used in real songs:

  • "Actually it's not powerful"
    9th Prince — 9th Chamber
  • "but through the all powerful"
    All Natural — Godspeed
  • "My vague premises hold powerful"
    Bronze Nazareth f/ Kevlaar 7 — Hypnotic Prophets (Remix)

Words that rhyme with powerful

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Usage tips for "powerful"

Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "powerful" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for powerful to find words that pair well.

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♫ Rhymes with powerful ↔ Synonyms for powerful 🔬 Words containing powerful

Frequently asked questions

What does powerful mean?
(Southern regional intensive) very; to a great degree; "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" having great power or force or potency or effect; "the most powerful government in western Europe"; "his powerful arms"; "a powerful bomb"; "the horse's powerful kick"; "powerful drugs"; "a powerful argument" strong enough to knock down or overwhelm
What part of speech is powerful?
Powerful is an adverb and an adjective.
How many definitions does powerful have?
Powerful has 6 definitions across 2 parts of speech (adverb, adjective).

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