What does "mightily" mean?
In a mighty manner.; With much physical force, power, or strength; also, with divine or superhuman power or strength.
Mightily
/ˈmaɪtɪli/ adv, slang
adv, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: In a mighty manner.; With much physical force, power, or strength; also, with divine or superhuman power or strength.
- Grammar: mightily is listed as adv, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: almighty, arduously, authoritatively, awfully.
- Useful contrasts: feebly, inconsequentially, mildly.
- Usage evidence: He strove mightily to overcome his addiction to heroin.
How to use "mightily"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mightily" 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 "mightily" 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 "mightily" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "mightily" 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 "mightily" is acting as adv, slang 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 "almighty" 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 "mightily", 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
Adverb
- 1 In a mighty manner.; With much physical force, power, or strength; also, with divine or superhuman power or strength. literary
"The chivalrous knights entered the lists and fought mightily."
- 2 In a mighty manner.; With much emotional, intellectual, or mental force or power; vehemently.
"Sir, I ſhal not be ſlacke, in ſigne vvhereof / Pleaſe ye vve may contriue this afternoone, / And quaffe carovvſes to our Miſtreſſe health, / And do as aduerſaries do in lavv, / Striue mightily, but eate and drinke as friends."
- 3 In a mighty manner.; Of a characteristic: provided or present to a powerful or strong extent.
"[A]lthough he vvas a man mightely friended, yet vvas he by a publike decree baniſhed into one of the Abſyrtides, iſlan ds vpon the coaſt of Libvrnia."
- 4 In a mighty manner.; To a great extent; extremely, greatly. informal
"He sounded mightily proud of himself."
- 5 In a mighty manner.; Put in place through the use of force or power. obsolete
"[T]his group of the lion and the man [a sculpture] now bear an unfinished, unwrought appearance, but you cannot look at it a moment, and not instantly avow the majesty and grandeur of the idea that once lay there so mightily embodied."
Adverb
- 1 (Southern regional intensive) very; to a great degree wordnet
- 2 powerfully or vigorously wordnet
Example
"He strove mightily to overcome his addiction to heroin."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mightily"?
Common synonyms include: almighty, arduously, authoritatively, awfully, big, cogently.
How do you use "mightily" in a sentence?
He strove mightily to overcome his addiction to heroin.
How do you pronounce "mightily"?
Pronounced /ˈmaɪtɪli/.
Etymology
From Middle English mightili (“with might, powerfully, strongly; forcefully, violently; greatly; etc.”), from Old English meahtiglice (“with might, powerfully, mightily”), from meahtiġ, mihtiġ (“powerful, mighty”) + -līċe (suffix forming adverbs). Mihtiġ is derived from Proto-Germanic *mahtīgaz (“mighty”), from *mahtiz (“force, strength; ability, power”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- (“to be able”)) + *-gaz (suffix with the sense ‘being; doing; having’ forming adjectives). By surface analysis, mighty + -ly (suffix forming adverbs).