might
nounadjectiveverbtop 1 000 in film dialogue
- United Kingdom/[maɪt]/
- United Kingdom/[mɑjt]/
- United States/[mɐɪt]/
- Canada/[məjt]/
- //maɪt//
Power, strength, force, or influence held by a person or group.
noun
- 1
Power, strength, force, or influence held by a person or group.
[…]ſtrengthed with all myght, thꝛough his gloꝛious power, unto all pacience and long ſufferyng with ioifulneſſe[…]
This is the richest, the most powerful country which ever occupied this globe. The might of past empires is little compared to ours. But I do not want to be the president who built empires or sought grandeur or extended dominion. I want to be the president who educated young children to the wonders of their world.
Since every nation considers itself right, peace lies in balancing the military mights of the possible rivals.
- 2
Physical strength or force.
He pushed with all his might, but still it would not move.
- 3
The ability to do something.
Etymology
From Middle English maught, might, miȝt, myght, from Old English maht, meaht, meht, mieht, miht, mæht (“ability, power; strength; virtue”), from Proto-West Germanic *mahti, from Proto-Germanic *mahtiz (“ability, power; force, strength”), from Proto-Indo-European *(me)mógʰe (“to be able to, to have power”), from *megʰ- (“to be able”), corresponding to Germanic *maganą (“to be able, may”) + *-þiz. Equivalent to may + -th. Cognates Cognate with Scots micht (“might”), Yola mought (“might”), Dutch macht (“might, power”), German Macht (“might, power”), Luxembourgish Muecht (“authority, might, power”), Yiddish מאַכט (makht, “might, power”), Faroese and Icelandic máttur (“might, strength”), Danish magt (“power; force”), Norwegian Bokmål makt (“power”), Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish makt (“power; force”), mått (“might, power”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (mahts, “ability, might, power”), and further to Irish smacht (“ordinance, regulation, rule; dominion, sway; control, discipline, restraint; fine, penalty”), Greek μάγος (mágos, “magician; sorcerer, wizard”), Lithuanian mėgti (“to like”), Belarusian моц (moc, “might, power”), Bulgarian мощ (mošt, “might, power”), Czech and Polish moc (“might, power”), Macedonian моќ (moḱ, “might, power”), Russian мочь (močʹ, “power, might”) and мощь (moščʹ, “force, strength”), Serbo-Croatian мо̑ћ, mȏć (“power; strength; potency; authority”), Slovene moč (“power; strength”), Ukrainian міч (mič) and міць (micʹ, “might, power”), Armenian մոգ (mog, “magus; fire-worshiper, Zoroastrian; astrologer; diviner, enchanter, sorcerer, wizard”), Persian مغ (moġ, “magus”), Sanskrit मघ (magha, “power, wealth; bounty, gift, reward”). See more at may.
adjective
- 1
obsoleteMighty; powerful.
- 2
obsoletePossible.
verb
- 1
simple past of may Used to indicate a desired past action that was not done.
You might have warned me about the thunderstorm.
- 2
Used to indicate conditional or possible actions; would perhaps/maybe.
Well, I might go to a party, but I haven't decided yet.
The characterism of an honest man: He looks not to what he might do, but what he should.
“A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron;[…]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: perhaps out of a desire to escape the gravity of this world or to get a preview of the next;[…].
- 3
Used concessively to admit something before making a more accurate or important statement; although
I might be in a wheelchair, but I still want to be treated as a lady.
I might play football, but I do know how to read.
- 4
archaicUsed in polite requests for permission.
"Might I take the last biscuit? I wonder if I might have a little more coffee too." "Yes you may, help yourself.".
- 5
Used to express certainty.
Yeah, I think we might need something a bit sturdier.
- 6
Also a form of maysimple past of may
He asked me if he might go to the party, but I haven't decided yet.
I thought that I might go the next day.
In those days, a Briton might be hanged for stealing an egg
The king and queen of Tahiti might not touch the ground anywhere but within their hereditary domains; for the ground on which they trod became sacred.
Etymology
From Old English meahte and mihte, inflections of magan, whence English may.
Forms
- plural
- mights
- comparative
- mighter
- superlative
- mightest
might · Power, strength, force, or influence held by a person or group.
mighty · Very strong; possessing might.migraine · A severe, disabling headache, usually affecting only one side…migration · An instance of moving to live in another place for a while.