might (root: may)

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• COUNT in NET: 157 in 147 verses (in OT : 145 in 135 verses) (in NT : 12 in 12 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

might, imp. [AS. meahte, mihte.].

 imp. of May.  [1913 Webster]

might, n. [AS. meaht, miht, from the root of magan to be able, E. may; akin to D. magt, OS. maht, G. macht, Icel. māttr, Goth. mahts. May, v.].

 Force or power of any kind, whether of body or mind; energy or intensity of purpose, feeling, or action; means or resources to effect an object; strength; force; power; ability; capacity.  [1913 Webster]
"What so strong,
But wanting rest, will also want of might?"  [1913 Webster]
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."  [1913 Webster]

With might and main. See under 2d Main.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

might, past of MAY, used esp.:
1 in reported speech, expressing possibility (said he might come) or permission (asked if I might leave) (cf. MAY 1, 2).
2 (foll. by perfect infin.) expressing a possibility based on a condition not fulfilled (if you'd looked you might have found it; but for the radio we might not have known).
3 (foll. by present infin. or perfect infin.) expressing complaint that an obligation or expectation is not or has not been fulfilled (he might offer to help; they might have asked; you might have known they wouldn't come).
4 expressing a request (you might call in at the butcher's).
5 colloq. a = MAY 1 (it might be true). b (in tentative questions) = MAY 2 (might I have the pleasure of this dance?). c = MAY 4 (who might you be?).

Idiom

might as well expressing that it is probably at least as desirable to do a thing as not to do it (finished the work and decided they might as well go to lunch; won't win but might as well try). might-have-been colloq.
1 a past possibility that no longer applies.
2 a person who could have been more eminent.

might, n.
1 great bodily or mental strength.
2 power to enforce one's will (usu. in contrast with right).

Idiom

with all one's might to the utmost of one's power. with might and main see MAIN(1).

Etymology

OE miht, mieht f. Gmc, rel. to MAY(1)

THESAURUS

might

adequacy, amperage, ampleness, amplitude, arm, armipotence, ascendancy, authoritativeness, authority, beef, black power, boundlessness, brawn, brute force, bulk, capability, capacity, charge, charisma, clout, cogence, cogency, command, competence, compulsion, control, decisiveness, dint, domination, dominion, drive, duress, effect, effectiveness, effectuality, endurance, energy, enormity, enormousness, expanse, flower power, force, force majeure, forcefulness, formidableness, fortitude, full blast, full force, fullness, gigantism, grandeur, grandness, great scope, greatness, guts, gutsiness, hardiness, heartiness, hugeness, immensity, infinity, influence, intensity, intestinal fortitude, jurisdiction, largeness, lustihood, lustiness, magisterialness, magnitude, main force, main strength, mana, mastery, might and main, mightiness, moxie, muchness, muscle, muscle power, obstinacy, pizzazz, plenitude, poop, potence, potency, potentiality, power, power pack, power structure, power struggle, powerfulness, prepotency, prodigiousness, productiveness, productivity, puissance, pull, punch, push, qualification, robustness, ruggedness, sinew, stalwartness, stamina, staying power, steam, sticking power, stoutness, strength, strength of will, strenuousness, strings, strong arm, stupendousness, sturdiness, superiority, superpower, sway, thew, toughness, tremendousness, validity, vastness, vehemence, vigor, vigorousness, vim, virility, virtue, virulence, vitality, wattage, weight

ROGET THESAURUS

might

Greatness

N greatness, magnitude, size, multitude, immensity, enormity, infinity, might, strength, intensity, fullness, importance, great quantity, quantity, deal, power, sight, pot, volume, world, mass, heap, stock, peck, bushel, load, cargo, cartload, wagonload, shipload, flood, spring tide, abundance, principal part, chief part, main part, greater part, major part, best part, essential part, bulk, mass, great, greater, large, considerable, fair, above par, big, huge, Herculean, cyclopean, ample, abundant, full, intense, strong, sound, passing, heavy, plenary, deep, high, signal, at its height, in the zenith, world-wide, widespread, far-famed, extensive, wholesale, many, goodly, noble, precious, mighty, sad, grave, heavy, serious, far gone, arrant, downright, utter, uttermost, crass, gross, arch, profound, intense, consummate, rank, uninitiated, red-hot, desperate, glaring, flagrant, stark staring, thorough-paced, thoroughgoing, roaring, thumping, extraordinary, important, unsurpassed, complete, august, grand, dignified, sublime, majestic, vast, immense, enormous, extreme, inordinate, excessive, extravagant, exorbitant, outrageous, preposterous, unconscionable, swinging, monstrous, overgrown, towering, stupendous, prodigious, astonishing, incredible, marvelous, unlimited, unapproachable, unutterable, indescribable, ineffable, unspeakable, inexpressible, beyond expression, fabulous, undiminished, unabated, unreduced, unrestricted, absolute, positive, stark, decided, unequivocal, essential, perfect, finished, remarkable, of mark, marked, pointed, veriest, noteworthy, renowned, truly, decidedly, unequivocally, purely, absolutely, seriously, essentially, fundamentally, radically, downright, in all conscience, for the most part, in the main, entirely, abundantly, widely, far and wide, greatly, much, muckle, well, indeed, very, very much, a deal, no end of, most, not a little, pretty, pretty well, enough, in a great measure, richly, to a large extent, to a great extent, to a gigantic extent, on a large scale, so, never so, ever so, ever so dole, scrap, shred, tag, splinter, rag, much, by wholesale, mighty, powerfully, with a witness, ultra, in the extreme, extremely, exceedingly, intensely, exquisitely, acutely, indefinitely, immeasurably, beyond compare, beyond comparison, beyond measure, beyond all bounds, incalculably, infinitely, preeminently, superlatively, immoderately, monstrously, preposterously, inordinately, exorbitantly, excessively, enormously, out of all proportion, with a vengeance, particularly, remarkably, singularly, curiously, uncommonly, unusually, peculiarly, notably, signally, strikingly, pointedly, mainly, chiefly, famously, egregiously, prominently, glaringly, emphatically, kat exochin, strangely, wonderfully, amazingly, surprisingly, astonishingly, incredibly, marvelously, awfully, stupendously, peculiarly, furiously, severely, desperately, tremendously, extravagantly, confoundedly, deucedly, devilishly, with a vengeance, a outrance, a toute outrance, painfully, sadly, grossly, sorely, bitterly, piteously, grievously, miserably, cruelly, woefully, lamentably, shockingly, frightfully, dreadfully, fearfully, terribly, horribly, a maximis ad minima, greatness knows itself, mightiest powers by deepest calms are fed, minimum decet libere cui multum licet, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

Power

N power, potency, potentiality, jiva, puissance, might, force, energy, dint, right hand, right arm, ascendency, sway, control, prepotency, prepollence, almightiness, omnipotence, authority, strength, ability, ableness, competency, efficacy, efficiency, productivity, expertise (skill), validity, cogency, enablement, vantage ground, influence, pressure, conductivity, elasticity, gravity, electricity, magnetism, galvanism, voltaic electricity, voltaism, electromagnetism, atomic power, nuclear power, thermonuclear power, fuel cell, hydraulic power, water power, hydroelectric power, solar power, solar energy, solar panels, tidal power, wind power, attraction, vis inertiae, vis mortua, vis viva, potential energy, dynamic energy, dynamic friction, dynamic suction, live circuit, live rail, live wire, capability, capacity, quid valeant humeri quid ferre recusent, faculty, quality, attribute, endowment, virtue, gift, property, qualification, susceptibility, powerful, puissant, potential, capable, able, equal to, up to, cogent, valid, efficient, productive, effective, effectual, efficacious, adequate, competent, multipotent, plenipotent, omnipotent, almighty, forcible, (energetic), influential, productive, powerfully, by virtue of, by dint of, a toute force, dos moi pou sto kai kino ten gen, eripuit coelo fulmen sceptrumque tyrannis, fortis cadere cedere non potest.

Violence

N violence, inclemency, vehemence, might, impetuosity, boisterousness, effervescence, ebullition, turbulence, bluster, uproar, callithump, riot, row, rumpus, le diable a quatre, devil to pay, all the fat in the fire, severity, ferocity, rage, fury, exacerbation, exasperation, malignity, fit, paroxysm, orgasm, climax, aphrodisia, force, brute force, outrage, coup de main, strain, shock, shog, spasm, convulsion, throe, hysterics, passion, outbreak, outburst, debacle, burst, bounce, dissilience, discharge, volley, explosion, blow up, blast, detonation, rush, eruption, displosion, torrent, turmoil, ferment, storm, tempest, rough weather, squall, earthquake, volcano, thunderstorm, berserk, berserker, fury, dragon, demon, tiger, beldame, Tisiphone, Megaera, Alecto, madcap, wild beast, fire eater, violent, vehement, warm, acute, sharp, rough, rude, ungentle, bluff, boisterous, wild, brusque, abrupt, waspish, impetuous, rampant, turbulent, disorderly, blustering, raging, troublous, riotous, tumultuary, tumultuous, obstreperous, uproarious, extravagant, unmitigated, ravening, inextinguishable, tameless, frenzied, desperate, infuriate, furious, outrageous, frantic, hysteric, in hysterics, fiery, flaming, scorching, hot, red-hot, ebullient, savage, fierce, ferocious, fierce as a tiger, excited, unquelled, unquenched, unextinguished, unrepressed, unbridled, unruly, headstrong, ungovernable, unappeasable, immitigable, unmitigable, uncontrollable, incontrollable, insuppressible, irrepressible, orgastic, orgasmatic, orgasmic, spasmodic, convulsive, explosive, detonating, volcanic, meteoric, stormy, violently, amain, by storm, by force, by main force, with might and main, tooth and nail, vi et armis, at the point of the sword, at the point of the bayonet, at one fell swoop, with a high hand, through thick and thin, in desperation, with a vengeance, a outrance, a toute outrance, headlong, head foremost, furor arma ministrat, blown with restless violence round about the pende.