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puissant

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Powerful, mighty, or influential—used to describe formidable figures in epic, political, or allegorical poetry.

Detailed Definition
“Puissant” elevates “powerful” to Latinate grandeur, common in epic and biblical poetry. It describes kings, gods, or armies. The term’s weight suits heroic catalogs. Poets use it to explore force’s reach and limits, where puissance meets fate or virtue, reinforcing themes of ambition, divine will, and mortal constraint in narrative and allegorical traditions.
Example
Example in poetry:
“A puissant king ruled the northern lands,” in an epic opening; In Spenser: “A puissant knight, both bold and true”; “Her puissant mind unraveled the riddle”; “The puissant storm bent the oaks”; “Puissant in war, gentle in peace”; The puissant truth needs no defense.
Additional Notes
“Puissant” (from Old French) denotes formidable power; in epic invocations or descriptions of gods/kings, it conveys awe-inspiring might, often alliterating with “power” or “prince” for rhetorical emphasis.
Also Known As
powerful mighty strong
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