Puissant
adj.capable, energeticliterary
What it means
Possessing great power, influence, or effectiveness.
Reach for it when giving an elevated description of a formidable person, force, or institution
The once small coalition became a puissant advocate for clean coastal water.
Choose between these
6- playful
for a major player with recognized clout in a field
not when Heavyweight is informal and can reduce nuanced influence to competitive rank.
- everyday
when great strength or influence can be stated directly
not when Powerful has none of puissant's historical grandeur but is much easier to understand.
- professional
if the ability to shape decisions is the specific power
not when Influential does not imply physical strength or formal authority.
- professional
for concentrated effectiveness that produces a strong result
not when Potent often describes substances, arguments, or symbols rather than institutions.
- formal
when capability commands respect and perhaps apprehension
not when Formidable introduces difficulty or intimidation absent from purely positive praise.
- literary
for imposing strength expressed with emotional or epic force
not when Mighty can sound archaic, humorous, or exaggerated.
Said against
3- powerless
- feeble
- ineffectual
It naturally appears in
3- puissant force
Public trust made the alliance a puissant force for reform.
- puissant ruler
The treaty constrained even the region's most puissant ruler.
- puissant influence
The port exercised a puissant influence on language and trade.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective sense: powerful or mighty opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.