French word

tout-puissant

Pronunciation

IPA/tupɥisɑ̃/

Meaning

  • adjectiveall-powerful

Example

Dieu est tout-puissant.

God is all-powerful.

Illustration for tout-puissant (all-powerful)

More examples

Après sa promotion, il se sentait tout-puissant.

After his promotion, he felt omnipotent.

Core concept

A power imagined as complete enough to control every part of a situation.

Common phrases

  • se sentir tout-puissant

    feel omnipotent

  • se croire tout-puissant

    believe oneself omnipotent

Similar words

puissant: Powerful and able to exert broad influence.
fort: Strong enough to withstand force or resistance.
capable: Able or well suited to do something successfully.

Definition in French

S'emploie pour exprimer qu'une personne, une entité ou une capacité semble avoir une puissance complète, souvent au sens figuré.

Word origin

Tout-puissant is a French compound of tout and puissant; puissant is inherited from Old French poissant, ultimately from Latin potentem.

Usage tips

  • French also uses tout-puissant for exaggeration or irony, so context can make the claim nonliteral.

Other meanings

  • almightynoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word