What does "might" mean?
Power, strength, force, or influence held by a person or group.
Might
/maɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Power, strength, force, or influence held by a person or group.
- Grammar: might is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: power, ability, adequacy, amain.
- Useful contrasts: could not have, frailty, must.
- Usage evidence: It might sound far-fetched, but this is a real problem.
How to use "might"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "might" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "might" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "might" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "might" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "might" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "power" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "might", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 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
Verb
- 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."."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Used to express certainty. UK, auxiliary, no-past-participle, no-present-participle
"Yeah, I think we might need something a bit sturdier."
Adjective
- 1 Mighty; powerful. obsolete
- 2 Possible. obsolete
Example
"It might sound far-fetched, but this is a real problem."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "might"?
Common synonyms include: power, ability, adequacy, amain, amount of physical force, amperage.
How do you use "might" in a sentence?
It might sound far-fetched, but this is a real problem.
How do you pronounce "might"?
Pronounced /maɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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.
Etymology 2
From Old English meahte and mihte, inflections of magan, whence English may.