horsepower

noun

horse·​pow·​er ˈhȯrs-ˌpau̇(-ə)r 

1

: the power that a horse exerts in pulling

2

: a unit of power equal in the U.S. to 746 watts and nearly equivalent to the English gravitational unit of the same name that equals 550 foot-pounds of work per second

3

: effective power

intellectual horsepower

computing horsepower

Synonyms of horsepower

• power
• energy
• strength
• muscle

Examples of horsepower in a Sentence

an engine with 200 horsepower

that architectural firm probably doesn't have the creative horsepower to produce a truly innovative design

Recent Examples on the Web

Other microbes seemed to produce their own dark oxygen, perhaps to extract energy from hydrocarbons such as methane, much as drag racers inject nitrous oxide into their engines to boost horsepower. — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

All the performance figures, including range, horsepower, torque, and 0–60 acceleration, remain the same for the 2027 R1s. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026

But 1,070 horsepower is about 50% more than the Gravity Touring’s output (560 hp), though only about a 20% bump over the already-quick Grand Touring (828 hp). — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026

Dell Tower Plus Desktop Deal This Dell desktop isn't explicitly marketed toward students, instead targeting the business market for professionals who need a machine that's got a little more horsepower than your average PC. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing horsepower

• shaft horsepower

Rhymes for horsepower

• candlepower
• cauliflower
• overpower
• superpower
• vavasour
• waterpower
• airpower
• brainpower
• devour
• empower
• firepower
• manpower

Kids Definition

horsepower

noun

horse·​pow·​er ˈhȯr-ˌspau̇(-ə)r 

: a unit of power equal in the U.S. to 746 watts and nearly equal to the English unit of the same name that equals 550 foot-pounds of work per second