powerful

adjective

1. 1

   Having, or capable of exerting, power or influence.

   The powerful grace that lies / In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities.

   [T]he ſubſtance of gold is indeed invincible by the povverfulleſt action of natural heat, […]

   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.

   Earth is surrounded by a magnetosphere — an invisible bubble of magnetism generated by the powerful churning of molten metals at Earth’s core.

2. 2

   Leading to many or important deductions.

   a powerful set of postulates

   a powerful theorem

3. 3

   Large; capacious; said of veins of ore.

4. 4

   Being a powerful number.

adverb

1. 1

   archaicvery; extremely

   "Well, you see, Thady, we'd a powerful great harvist uv it, you know, this year, an' the min all worked like jewels, as they are; an' the masther was in great sperits, an' he promis'd he'd give us all a grand dinner whin the dhrawin'-in was over, an' the corn all safe in the haggard."

   Above all, she remembered that first time in the Houmfor where her black nurse had once taken her as a child. 'It do yuh no harm, Missy. Dis powerful good juju. Care fe yuh res 'f yo life.'

   "She was stinkin' hot down here that summer, an' we were powerful dry."

Forms

comparative

more powerful

superlative

most powerful