might
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(mīt) 
n.
might2 (mīt)
aux.v., Past tense of, may.
n.
- The power, force, or influence held by a person or group.
- Physical strength.
- Strength or ability to do something. See synonyms at strength. See Regional Note at powerful.
[Middle English, from Old English meaht, miht.]
might2 (mīt)
aux.v., Past tense of, may.
- Used to indicate a condition or state contrary to fact: She might help if she knew the truth.
- Used to indicate a possibility or probability that is weaker than may: We might discover a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
- Used to express possibility or probability or permission in the past: She told him yesterday he might not go on the trip.
- Used to express a higher degree of deference or politeness than may, ought, or should: Might I express my opinion?
[Middle English, from Old English meahte, mihte, first and third person sing. past tense of magan, to be able. See may1.]
Our Living Language In many Southern U.S. varieties of English, might can be paired with other auxiliary verbs such as could, as in We might could park over there. Words like might and could are known as modals, since they express certain "moods" (for example, I might go indicates an uncertain mood on the part of the speaker). Combinations such as might could, might would, and might can are known as double modals. Other less common combinations include may can, may will, and might should. Since double modals typically begin with may or might, they lessen the degree of conviction or certainty (much like the word possibly) more than a single modal does. Double modals are used, for example, to minimize the force of what one is saying, as when asking someone for a favor or when indicating displeasure. • Although double modals may sound odd outside of the South, they carry little if any social stigma within the South and are used by speakers of all social classes and educational levels-even in formal instances like political addresses. Like many features of Southern varieties of English, the use of double modals is probably due to the fact that many of the first English speakers in the South were Scotch-Irish, whose speech made use of double modals. This feature has been noted as far back as the Middle English period, but today's most common forms were not used to any great extent until the mid-18th century. They are surprisingly rare in dialect fiction but do occasionally occur, as in Old Yeller by Fred Gipson: "Jumper's liable to throw a fit with that hide rattling along behind him, and you might not can hold him by yourself."
Roget's Thesaurus:
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might
noun
- Physical, mental, financial, or legal power to perform: ability, capability, capacity, competence, competency, faculty. See ability/inability.
- The right and power to command, decide, rule, or judge: authority, command, control, domination, dominion, jurisdiction, mastery, power, prerogative, sovereignty, sway. Informal say-so. See over/under.
- The state or quality of being physically strong: brawn, muscle, potence, potency, power, powerfulness, puissance, sinew, strength, thew (often used in plural). See strong/weak.
- Capacity or power for work or vigorous activity: animation, energy, force, potency, power, puissance, sprightliness, steam, strength. Informal get-up-and-go, go, pep, peppiness, zip. See action/inaction.
Antonyms by Answers.com:
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might
n
Definition: ability, power
Antonyms: inability, powerlessness, weakness
n
Definition: strength
Antonyms: feebleness
Translations:
Top
Might
Dansk (Danish)
1.
aux. v. - kunne, ville (måske) måtte
idioms:
- might as well kunne vel lige så godt
2.
n. - styrke, kraft, magt
Nederlands (Dutch)
zou kunnen, kunnen, macht, kracht, behoorlijk (deel)
Français (French)
1.
aux. v. - pouvoir (auxil. verbal) (au passé et au conditionnel), pouvoir (probabilité au passé), pouvoir (dans les requêtes) (sout)
idioms:
- might as well pourrait aussi bien, pourrait bien
- might have known aurait pu connaître
2.
n. - puissance, force
idioms:
- might is right la force prime le droit (Prov)
- with all one's might de toutes ses forces
Deutsch (German)
1.
aux. v. - können
idioms:
- might as well könnte(n) genausogut
- might have known das hätte ich mir denken können
2.
n. - Macht, Gewalt
idioms:
- might is right Macht geht vor Recht
- with all one's might mit aller Kraft
Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - θα μπορούσε
n. - δύναμη, ισχύς
idioms:
- might as well θα μπορούσα κάλλιστα
Italiano (Italian)
potrei... (condizionale di potere), potenza
idioms:
- might as well nonostante tutto
Português (Portuguese)
v. - deveria
n. - força
idioms:
- might as well bem que poderia
Русский (Russian)
мощь, энергия, мог бы
idioms:
- might as well мог бы, хуже не будет
Español (Spanish)
1.
aux. v. - puede ser, podría ser
idioms:
- might as well más valdría, quizá debería, ya que está
- might have known debería haberlo sabido
2.
n. - poder, fuerza, poderío, pujanza
idioms:
- might is right está bien aplicar la fuerza
- with all one's might con toda la fuerza
Svenska (Swedish)
v. - kunde, skulle (kanske) kunna, fick, kunde få, måtte, skulle
n. - makt, förmåga
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 力量, 威力, 强权, 能力, 势力
idioms:
- might as well 不妨, 倒不如, 满可以
2. 可能, 也许
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 力量, 威力, 強權, 能力, 勢力
idioms:
- might as well 不妨, 倒不如, 滿可以
2.
aux. v. - 可能, 也許
한국어 (Korean)
1.
aux. v. - ~해도 좋다, ~일지도 모른다
2.
n. - 세력, 힘
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 力, 影響力, 腕力, 能力
v.aux. - …かもしれない, …したかもしれない, …してもよい, …だろうか, …してよければ, …であっても, …するように, …しないかと, …するために
idioms:
- might as well そうだねする方がましだ, する方がよい
- pigs might fly 不思議な事も起こりかねない
- with might and main 力いっぱい
العربيه (Arabic)
(فعل) يمكن أن, لربما (الاسم) قوي, جبار, مقدار
עברית (Hebrew)
aux. v. - היה עשוי, היה יכול, היה עלול, היה אפשרי, היה צריך
n. - עוצמה רבה, כוח
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Copyrights:
American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Roget's Thesaurus
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 byHoughton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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