as in powerful
having great power or influence
one of the nation's most respected and puissant advocates for the rights of minorities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of puissant
The show is light on tech, but the accompanying images (video design by Stefano DeCarli) pour through as addendums to Felder’s puissant passion of Liszt’s Liebesträume or Beethoven’s Für Elise and land with great effect.
—
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
Coffee gave us the Enlightenment, and insurance, and the most puissant bop of summer 2024.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2025
Quite the puissant power house—this wine includes aromas of lavender and cedar, rum, sultanas, treacle, black cherries, pine cones and orange rind, as well as tastes that include a raspberry flush and flavors of plums, cola, figs, cocoa and black pepper.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2021
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
Coffee gave us the Enlightenment, and insurance, and the most puissant bop of summer 2024.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 14 Oct. 2025
Quite the puissant power house—this wine includes aromas of lavender and cedar, rum, sultanas, treacle, black cherries, pine cones and orange rind, as well as tastes that include a raspberry flush and flavors of plums, cola, figs, cocoa and black pepper.
—Tom Mullen, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puissant
Adjective
-
Yet launching a conversation around mental health with an audience magnet as powerful as Radcliffe is on balance an excellent thing.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
But generating stable and powerful light in this region has proven difficult because most materials strongly absorb it.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
At stake is the group’s editorial independence — and whether its journalists will continue to report freely without fear of state pressure — as well as public trust in one of East Africa’s most influential media institutions.—
Vivianne Wandera,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Watson eventually became a co-host on the show, which would provide an early platform for influential artists including Jay-Z, Nas, and Wu-Tang Clan.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s a significant detail, because many of them are agreeing to go on with suits.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
In an unusual show of support for someone convicted of such a significant crime, about 50 people attended Lauer’s sentencing hearing on Monday, including his sister, children, two rabbis and members of his religious congregation.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puissant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puissant. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
