might
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Etymology 1 [edit]
From Middle English might, myghte, (also maught, macht, maht), from Old English miht, mieht, meaht, mæht (“might, bodily strength, power, authority, ability, virtue, mighty work, miracle, angel”), from Proto-Germanic *mahtiz, *mahtuz (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *mógʰtis, *magʰ- (“to allow, be able, help”), corresponding to Germanic *maganą + *-þiz. 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”), Icelandic máttur (“might”).
Pronunciation [edit]
Noun [edit]
might (uncountable)
- (uncountable) Power, strength, force or influence held by a person or group.
- (uncountable) Physical strength.
- He pushed with all his might, but still it would not move.
- (uncountable) The ability to do something.
Translations [edit]
personal power
physical strength
ability
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Adjective [edit]
might (comparative mighter, superlative mightest)
Etymology 2 [edit]
From Old English meahte, from magan, whence English may.
Verb [edit]
might
- (auxiliary) Used to indicate conditional or possible actions.
- I might go to the party, but I haven't decided yet.
- (auxiliary) Simple past of may. Used to indicate permission in past tense.
- He asked me if he might go to the party, but I haven't decided yet.
- (auxiliary) Simple past of may. Used to indicate possibility in past tense.
- I thought that I might go the next day.
Conjugation [edit]
- archaic second-person singular simple past - mightest
- nonstandard, archaic third-person singular simple past - mighteth
Translations [edit]
indicator of conditional or possible actions
See also [edit]
Statistics [edit]
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms with homophones
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English adjectives
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English simple past forms
- 200 English basic words
- English auxiliary verb forms
- English defective verbs
- English irregular simple past forms
- English terms with multiple etymologies
