powerful, a. (adv.)
(ˈpaʊəfʊl)
[f. power n.1 + -ful.]
A. adj. Full of or having power.
1. Having great power; mighty, potent.
| a 1400–50 Alexander 3242 My pure powarfull [v.r. power⁓full] gods I prestly pauoure, Þine empire & þine erytage enterely þe to ȝeld. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, ii. ii. 55 The Lords of Rosse, Beaumond, and Willoughby With all their powre⁓full friends are fled to him. 1621 Donne Serm. xv. (1640) 149 [Death] is the powerfullest, the fearefulest enemy. 1727 A. Hamilton New Acc. E. Ind. I. xxv. 305 He is reckoned the powerfullest King on the Sea-coast of Malabar. 1845 S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. III. 387 This powerful city had protested against the Recess of Spires. |
2. Capable of exerting great force (physical or immaterial); strong, potent. (Of persons or things.)
| 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. i. (1594) 80 The..perfect understanding of the chiefest part and most powerfull beginning of himselfe, namelie of his spirit. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, v. ii. 15 Whose top-branch..kept low Shrubs from Winters pow'rfull Winde. 1638 in Hamilton Pap. (Camden) I. 41 This is not nou to be doune uithout a pourfull force, uhich can not be rased heire. 1654–66 Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 697 Extorting a confession from me by the powerfullest Rack. a 1711 Ken Div. Love Wks. (1838) 275 Let thy all-powerful love abound in my heart. 1802 Med. Jrnl. VIII. 390 By the frequent and liberal use of other powerful stimulants. 1808 Scott Marm. iv. xiii, He knew to prize Lord Marmion's powerful mind, and wise. 1847 James Convict ii, By one of the rocks were seated three powerful men. 1876 Tait Rec. Adv. Phys. Sc. vii. (ed. 2) 183 A performer with a powerful instrument (such as a cornopean). |
3. a. Exerting great force or producing great effect (in quot. 1854, indicating the exertion of great force). b. Having power to influence greatly; impressive, convincing, telling.
| 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. x. 36 Had not the Ladie with her powrefull speach Him from his wicked will uneath refrayned. 1624 Donne Serm. xvii. (1640) 165 Of all proofes, Demonstration is the powerfullest. 1722 De Foe Relig. Courtsh. i. i. (1840) 30 There is a powerful force in a father's command. 1799 C. B. Brown Edgar Huntly (1803) I. viii. 219 Features which bore at all times a powerful resemblance to those of Mrs. Lorimer. 1854 Murchison Siluria iv. (1867) 63 The line of a powerful fault. 1860 Tyndall Glac. ii. xxvii. 385 The sudden change of inclination producing powerful longitudinal compression. 1873 Morley Rousseau I. 124 The author of the most powerful book by which parental duty has been commended. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 902 A powerful fetid odour. |
† 4. Having the power to do something; able, capable. Obs. rare.
| 1620 T. Granger Div. Logike 108 By which the Substance is able, or powerfull to doe something. |
† 5. Math. Involving the square or a higher power. Obs. rare.
| 1674 S. Jeake Arith. (1696) 614 A powerful Equation, where⁓in is some Figural number or other. |
6. Great, in quantity or number; cf. mighty a. 3. dial. and colloq.
| 1811 Byron Let. 25 June (1830) I. 249 For a long time I have been restricted to an entire vegetable diet,..so I expect a powerful stock of potatoes, greens, and biscuit. 1822 J. Woods Two Years' Residence Eng. Prairie 294, I also have got some beefs, and a powerful chance of corn. 1852 Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. xxxiii, Dat ar Tom's gwine to make a powerful deal o' trouble. a 1859 Carlton New Purchase II. 8 (Bartlett) This piano was sort o' fiddle like—only bigger—and with a powerful heap of wire strings. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. i. v, [He] took a powerful sight of notice. |
7. Comb., as powerful-engined, powerful-faced, powerful-handed.
| 1822 Galt Provost xxxvi, Pulled out of the crowd by a powerful-handed woman. 1903 Daily Chron. 5 Jan. 5/2 The most powerful-engined liner in the world. 1906 Rider Haggard Benita ix. 129 A clever powerful-faced man. |
B. as adv. In a great degree; very, exceedingly. dial. and colloq. Cf. mighty adv.
| a 1822 in Amer. Speech (1956) XXXI. 270 Powerful. This word is much used by the middling and lower class of people in the interior of So: Carolina..: instead of saying a person is very strong, they would say, he is powerful; or powerful strong. 1832 W. Irving Jrnl. 10 Nov. (1919) III. 171 My gun is so powerful dirty. 1835 ― Tour Prairies xiii, He was powerful tired. 1848 W. E. Burton Waggeries 23 He felt it tickle powerful from the top of his head to thee end of his starn-fin. 1876 Besant & Rice Gold. Butterfly xviii, Rayner seems powerful anxious to get you on the paper. 1902 Dialect Notes II. 242 Powerful, adv. Very, as ‘powerful much’. 1927 Amer. Speech II. 362/1 Our lessons are all pow'eful hard to-day. 1942 Morgantown (W. Virginia) Post 26 Sept. 5 It does get powerful cold in those hills. 1977 F. Parrish Fire in Barley iii. 33 'Tes powerful hard t'temp me Mam's fancy. She d'play wi' her food, mos' times. |