clout
Americannoun
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a blow, especially with the hand; cuff.
The bully gave him a painful clout on the head.
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Informal. pull; strong influence; muscle, especially political power.
a wealthy campaign contributor with clout at city hall.
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Baseball. a long hit, especially an extra-base hit.
A hard clout to deep center field drove in the winning run.
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Archery.
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the mark or target shot at, especially in long-distance shooting.
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a shot that hits the mark.
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Also called clout nail. a nail for attaching sheet metal to wood, having a short shank with a broad head.
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Archaic.
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a patch or piece of cloth or other material used to mend something.
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any worthless piece of cloth; rag.
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an article of clothing (usually used contemptuously).
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verb (used with object)
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to strike, especially with the hand; cuff.
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Archaic.
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to bandage.
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to patch; mend.
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noun
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informal a blow with the hand or a hard object
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power or influence, esp in politics
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archery
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the target used in long-distance shooting
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the centre of this target
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a shot that hits the centre
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Also called: clout nail. a short, flat-headed nail used esp for attaching sheet metal to wood
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dialect
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a piece of cloth
a dish clout
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a garment
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a patch
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verb
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informal to give a hard blow to, esp with the hand
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to patch with a piece of cloth or leather
Usage
What else does clout mean? To have clout is to have influence or power. In popular culture, people with clout are seen as popular and cool.
Other Word Forms
- clouter noun
Etymology
Origin of clout
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English clūt “piece of cloth or metal”; cognate with Middle Low German klūte, Old Norse klūtr
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
State media said Tuesday she has been promoted to department director within the central committee of the Workers' Party -- a sign of her clout within Pyongyang.
From Barron's
"There's plenty of leeway to bend the rules strategically, to flout the rules for a while and get marketing clout," he adds.
From BBC
He hopes the coordinated campaign will provide the political clout to pass the bill.
Like his lead character, Ford himself had to ascend in clout to direct this script, which he launched on the Black List in 2014.
From Los Angeles Times
The European Union itself is a good example of the promise and limits of cooperation—it links 27 countries, giving it collective clout to negotiate trade deals and set common standards.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
