What does "might" mean?

1. (past possibility) used with 'have' to talk about something that was possible in the past. 2. (great power) great power, strength, or influence. 3. (physical effort) using all your physical strength to do something.

How do you use "might"?

follows the pattern 'might have' + past participle often found in the phrase 'with all one's might'

might

v. · n.

US //ˈmaɪt// UK //mˈaɪt// might

1 past possibility (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

used with 'have' to talk about something that was possible in the past.

used with a perfect infinitive to express a past possibility that did not necessarily occur.

Example

I might have left my umbrella on the bus this morning.

Example

If the warning had been issued earlier, the residents might have had sufficient time to evacuate before the river burst its banks.

Usage

follows the pattern 'might have' + past participle
2 great power (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

great power, strength, or influence.

great power, capacity, or physical strength, especially when possessed by a nation or large organization.

Example

The army showed its military might during the parade.

Example

The small nation struggled to compete against the economic might of its much larger and more industrialised neighbours.
- weakness

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3 physical effort (n.)
C1 Advanced Literary

using all your physical strength to do something.

physical force or energy applied to a task.

Example

He pushed the heavy door with all his might until it finally opened.

Example

She struck the anvil with all her might, the rhythmic clanging echoing through the small workshop as the iron began to glow.

Usage

often found in the phrase 'with all one's might'
- effort
- brawn

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.

Word family

Verbmight
Nounalmighty
Adjectivemighty