clout

¹clout

noun \ˈklau̇t\

Definition of CLOUT

1

dialect chiefly British : a piece of cloth or leather : rag

2

: a blow especially with the hand; also : a hard hit in baseball

3

: a white cloth on a stake or frame used as a target in archery

4

: pull, influence <political clout>

Examples of CLOUT

1. She used her political clout to have another school built.
2. <gave the stubborn handle a solid clout to make it turn>

Origin of CLOUT

Middle English, from Old English clūt; akin to Middle High German klōz lump, Russian gluda

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to CLOUT

Synonyms: bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, ¹blow, crack, cuff, dab, douse [British], fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup [dialect], lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop (also whap)

Related Words: counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke; body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut; cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO; bastinado (or bastinade), battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling (or cudgelling), drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling (also pummelling), thrashing; flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

Near Antonyms: helplessness, impotence, impotency, powerlessness, weakness

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with CLOUT

bout, doubt, drought, flout, glout, gout, grout, knout, kraut, lout, out, pout, rout, route, scout, shout, snout, spout, sprout, stout, tout, trout