powerful

/ˈpaʊərfəl/

/ˈpaʊəfəl/

Something that's powerful displays, well, power. Your neighbor who just finished training to be a fireman probably looks much more powerful than he used to.

We use powerful for many different senses of "strong." A powerful medicine is very effective. A powerful politician has more influence than most politicians. A powerful dog could probably knock you down. If you're reading a book written in folksy Southern vernacular, someone might use powerful to mean "very," as in, "that was a powerful good supper, Miss Jackson," or "you look powerful good tonight."

Definitions of powerful

1. adjective

   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”

   “a powerful argument”

   synonyms: impactful

   effective, effectual, efficacious

   producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect

   potent, stiff, strong

   having a strong physiological or chemical effect

   all-powerful, almighty, omnipotent

   having unlimited power

   coercive

   serving or intended to coerce

   compelling

   driving or forcing

   mighty

   having or showing great strength or force or intensity

   muscular

   having or suggesting great physical power or force

   potent, strong

   having or wielding force or authority

   puissant

   powerful

   regent

   acting or functioning as a regent or ruler

   hegemonic, regnant, reigning, ruling

   exercising power or authority

   strong

   having strength or power greater than average or expected

   antonyms:

   powerless

   lacking power

   ineffective, ineffectual, uneffective

   not producing an intended effect

   impotent

   lacking power or ability

   feeble, nerveless

   lacking strength

   helpless, incapacitated

   lacking in or deprived of strength or power

   low-powered

   having little power to do work

   weak

   not having authority, political strength, or governing power

   weak

   wanting in physical strength
2. adjective

   strong enough to knock down or overwhelm
   synonyms: knock-down

   strong

   having strength or power greater than average or expected
3. adjective

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

   synonyms: brawny, hefty, muscular, sinewy

   strong

   having strength or power greater than average or expected
4. adjective

   displaying superhuman strength or power
   synonyms: herculean

   superhuman

   above or beyond the human or demanding more than human power or endurance
5. adjective

   having great influence
   synonyms: potent

   influential

   having or exercising influence or power
6. adverb

   (Southern regional intensive) very; to a great degree
   “it is powerful humid”

   “that boy is powerful big now”

   synonyms: mightily, mighty, right