powerful en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈpaʊəfl̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈpaʊɚfl̩/ (General-American)
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English pouerful, powarfull. By surface analysis, power + -ful.
Meanings
-
Having, or capable of exerting, power or influence.
Dear Political Activists All your chanting, marching, voting, picketing, boycotting and letter-writing will not change a thing; you will never right the wrongs of this world. The only thing your activity will accomplish is to make some of you feel better. Such activity makes powerless people feel useful, and provides them the illusion that they're making a difference. But it doesn't work. Nothing changes. The powerful keep the power. That's why they're called the powerful.
2004, George Carlin, “NOTHING CHANGES”, in When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 106:As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:The powerful grace that lies / In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities.
c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:[T]he ſubſtance of gold is indeed invincible by the povverfulleſt action of natural heat, […]
1646, Thomas Browne, “Compendiously of Sundry Tenents Concerning Minerall and Terreous Bodies, which Examined, Prove either False or Dubious”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], London: […] T[homas] H[arper] for Edward Dod, […], →OCLC, 2nd book, paragraph 3, page 85:Earth is surrounded by a magnetosphere — an invisible bubble of magnetism generated by the powerful churning of molten metals at Earth’s core.
2023 December 27, Mindy Weisberger, “Ancient bricks baked when Nebuchadnezzar II was king absorbed a power surge in Earth’s magnetic field”, in CNN:
-
Leading to many or important deductions.
a powerful theorem
a powerful set of postulates
- Large; capacious; said of veins of ore.
- (not-comparable) Being a powerful number.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| powreful | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| more powerful | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| powrefull | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| most powerful | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
ultrapowerful · powerfully · powerful owl · semipowerful · superpowerful · nonpowerful · unpowerful · overpowerful · all-powerful · powerfulness
Relateds
Synonyms
squareful · strong · mightful · potent · mighty · powersome · heavy · strengthful · forceful
Translations (138)
tg қавӣ (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · pt poderoso (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · unm alëwilësi (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · te శక్తివంతం (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ar قَوِيّ (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ca potent (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · kk күшті (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · bn শক্ত (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · fi voimallinen (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · de kräftig (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · be мо́цны (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · it potente (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · co potente (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · sh мо̏ћан (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · is kröftugur (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · et võimas (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · yi מעכטיג (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · fi voimakas (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · fi vahva (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · oc potent (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · tk güýçli (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · nn kraftfull (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · da mægtig (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · rgn putént (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · egy wsr-s-r:D40 (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ru могу́чий (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · co putente (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · hy ուժեղ (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · cy pwerus (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · sk mocný (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ja 強い (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · fr puissant (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · oc poderós (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · hu erőteljes (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ka გავლენიანი (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · is valdamikill (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ang mihtiġ (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · el ισχυρός (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ckb کار بەدەست (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · te బలమైన (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ast poderosu (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · pl potężny (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · km ខ្លាំងពូកែ (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · pt potente (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · uk міцни́й (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ga cumasach (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · bg могъ́щ (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · br galloudeg (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ru влия́тельный (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · he עוצמתי (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · izh see Thesaurus:vahva (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · cs mocný (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · yi שטאַרק (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · mk моќен (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · de kraftvoll (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ga tréan (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · it efficace (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ga neartmhar (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ga éifeachtach (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · grc δυνατός (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · vi hùng cường (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · sa उग्र (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ga bríomhar (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · cmn 強力 /强力 (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ru могу́щественный (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · la potens (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · gl poderoso (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ms berkuasa (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · vi hùng mạnh (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · mhr виян (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · tr güçlü (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · sh mȍćan (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · km ខ្លាំងក្លា (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ja 強力な (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · chr ᎤᎳᏂᎩᏛ (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · la imperiōsus (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ga láidir (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · de mächtig (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · is kraftmikill (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ckb بەھێز (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · fur potent (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · nrf piêssant (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · mwl poderoso (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · gd cumhachdach (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ang wealdende (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · bg мо́щен (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · hy զորեղ (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · sl močan (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · uk поту́жний (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · is máttugur (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · hi शक्तिशाली (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · fa قوی (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · yi כּוחדיק (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · is öflugur (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · bho शक्तिशाली (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · uz kuchli (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · gl potente (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · be пату́жны (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · grc ἰσχυρός (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · cs účinný (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · eu ahaldun (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · eo potenca (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · nn mektig (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ka ძლევამოსილი (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · hy հզոր (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ota نفوذلو (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · pms potent (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · es pudiente (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · got 𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · sv mäktig (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ka ძლიერი (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · nb mektig (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · fi mahtava (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · vi mạnh mẽ (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ky күчтүү (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ko 강력하다 (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · pl mocny (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · es poderoso (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · nl krachtig (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · uk могу́тній (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ru мо́щный (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · co putenti (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · fi tehokas (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · is voldugur (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · az güclü (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · hi बली (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · be магу́тны (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · mwl podroso (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · izh vahva (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · hi शक्तिमान (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ko 강하다 (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ga cumhachtach (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · nb kraftfull (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · cmn 強勁 /强劲 (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · ca poderós (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · cmn 強大 /强大 (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · nl machtig (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence) · sa विभूति (having or capable of exerting power, potency or influence)