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Might
Definitions
- 1 Mighty; powerful. obsolete
- 2 Possible. obsolete
- 1 Power, strength, force, or influence held by a person or group. countable, uncountable
"[…]ſtrengthed with all myght, thꝛough his gloꝛious power, unto all pacience and long ſufferyng with ioifulneſſe[…]"
- 2 physical strength wordnet
- 3 Physical strength or force. uncountable
"He pushed with all his might, but still it would not move."
- 4 The ability to do something. uncountable
- 1 simple past of may auxiliary, form-of, no-past-participle, no-present-participle, past
"He asked me if he might go to the party, but I haven't decided yet."
- 2 simple past of may; Used to indicate a desired past action that was not done. auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle
"You might have warned me about the thunderstorm."
- 3 Used to indicate conditional or possible actions; would perhaps/maybe. auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle
"Well, I might go to a party, but I haven't decided yet."
- 4 Used concessively to admit something before making a more accurate or important statement; although auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle
"I might be in a wheelchair, but I still want to be treated as a lady."
- 5 Used in polite requests for permission. auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle
""Might I take the last biscuit? I wonder if I might have a little more coffee too." "Yes you may, help yourself."."
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- 6 Used to express certainty. UK, auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle
"Yeah, I think we might need something a bit sturdier."
Etymology
From Middle English myght, might (also maught, macht, maht), from Old English miht, mieht, meaht, mæht (“might, bodily strength, power, authority, ability, virtue, mighty work, miracle, angel”), from Proto-West Germanic *mahti, from Proto-Germanic *mahtiz, *mahtuz (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *mógʰtis, *megʰ- (“to allow, be able, help”), corresponding to Germanic *maganą + *-þiz. Equivalent to may + -th. Cognate with Scots micht, maucht (“might”), North Frisian macht (“might, ability”), West Frisian macht (“might, ability”), Dutch macht (“might, power”), German Macht (“power, might”), Swedish makt (“might”), Norwegian makt (“power”), Icelandic máttur (“might”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (mahts), and further to Russian мочь (močʹ, “power, might”) and мощь (moščʹ, “force, strength”), Ukrainian міч (mič) and міць (micʹ, “power”), Bulgarian мощ (mošt, “power, might”), Serbo-Croatian moć (“power”), Czech moc (“power”), Polish moc (“power”). See more at may.
From Middle English myght, might (also maught, macht, maht), from Old English miht, mieht, meaht, mæht (“might, bodily strength, power, authority, ability, virtue, mighty work, miracle, angel”), from Proto-West Germanic *mahti, from Proto-Germanic *mahtiz, *mahtuz (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *mógʰtis, *megʰ- (“to allow, be able, help”), corresponding to Germanic *maganą + *-þiz. Equivalent to may + -th. Cognate with Scots micht, maucht (“might”), North Frisian macht (“might, ability”), West Frisian macht (“might, ability”), Dutch macht (“might, power”), German Macht (“power, might”), Swedish makt (“might”), Norwegian makt (“power”), Icelandic máttur (“might”), Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌷𐍄𐍃 (mahts), and further to Russian мочь (močʹ, “power, might”) and мощь (moščʹ, “force, strength”), Ukrainian міч (mič) and міць (micʹ, “power”), Bulgarian мощ (mošt, “power, might”), Serbo-Croatian moć (“power”), Czech moc (“power”), Polish moc (“power”). See more at may.
From Old English meahte and mihte, inflections of magan, whence English may.
See also for "might"
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