# might

/ˈmaɪt/ (US) · /mˈaɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/might
Updated: 2026-08-01

## Senses

### 3. past possibility

modal verb · CEFR B2

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

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

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

### 4. great power

noun · CEFR B2

great power, strength, or influence.

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

- The army showed its military might during the parade.
- The small nation struggled to compete against the economic might of its much larger and more industrialised neighbours.

### 5. physical effort

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

using all your physical strength to do something.

For teachers: physical force or energy applied to a task.

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

## Examples

- The army showed its military might during the parade.
- The small company struggled to compete against the financial might of the global corporation.
- The ancient empire maintained its borders not through diplomacy, but through the sheer industrial and military might it could summon at a moment's notice.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.