might1 modal verbmight2 noun
mightmight1 /maɪt/ ●●● S1 W1 modal verb (negative short form mightn’t) 
WORD ORIGINmight1
Origin:
Old English meahte, mihteEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Might I come in?
- Carrie might not be able to go.
- He might have been outside.
- I thought it might rain, so I brought an umbrella.
- If Hawaii is too expensive, we might go to Florida.
- Samuel left his children a letter, so that they might understand why he had to go away.
- She said she might call you tomorrow.
- This might help the pain a little bit.
- You might try calling the store.
- But you might also want to be bumped.
- Democracy might be expected to collapse under such pressure.
- For reasons such as these, the property sector is increasingly concerned that these regulations might hold back major developments.
- I wanted to tell him I might be the only one besides himself who would be voting for it.
- In this way we catch a glimpse of what might be called the hermeneutical communion of saints.
- Sewers and wells might halt the disease, but cost much more.
- This isn't as difficult as you might think.
- With the extra free time, they might do more volunteer work, Jerome said.
Longman Language Activatormaterial for making clothes, curtains etc
use this when you think that something may happen or may be true, but you are not sure. Perhaps is more formal than maybe .: · "Will you be there tomorrow?" "I don't know, maybe."· I wonder why she's late - maybe she missed the train.· The footprints belonged to a large cat, a tiger, perhaps.· I'm not sure why I couldn't sleep. Perhaps it was the coffee.maybe not/perhaps not: · "It's not her fault that she can't get a job." "Well, maybe not, but she should make a little more effort."· Housing prices will continue to rise, though perhaps not as much as was predicted last year.
use this with other verbs, to show that something is possible, or likely, but you are not sure about it. May and might are more formal than could: · Take your umbrella -- it might rain.· Hundreds of workers may lose their jobs if the strike continues.· We could be home before midnight if the traffic isn't too bad.may/might/could have done something: · "Bruce isn't here yet." "He may have decided not to come."· It's a good thing we got her to the hospital right away -- the doctor said she could have died if we'd waited.
use this when you think that something may happen or may be done, but that it is not very likely: · I might have to work on Saturday, so it's possible I won't be able to come to your party.· There's a chance that I'll be in California in October, so I might be able to visit you for a few days.it is just possible (that)/there is just a chance (that) (=when something is possible, but very unlikely): · Tomorrow should be sunny but there's just a chance of showers in the afternoon.· It's just possible we'll finish the job by tonight, but it'll probably be tomorrow.outside chance/possibility: · Martinez will need surgery, but there's an outside chance he'll be playing again before the end of the season.slim chance/possibility: · Sims has some numbness and weakness in her legs, and surgeons say there is a slim possibility of paralysis.
use this when you think that something may be true, but you do not have enough information to be sure: · "Do you think she was murdered, inspector?" "Possibly."· He's playing in the US Open Golf Championships - possibly for the last time.· Stone is possibly America's finest film director.· The cancer was possibly caused by exposure to asbestos.· Trade between the two countries began in the 11th century, possibly even earlier.· Many analysts believe interest rates will rise, possibly as early as next spring.quite possibly (=very possibly): · The examination hall was vast, with at least 700 or 800 students and quite possibly as many as 1000.
if you think something may conceivably happen or be true, it seems unlikely but you can imagine that it is possible: · Reservations are advised but you might conceivably find a hotel the day you arrive.· It is still unlikely, but unemployment could conceivably begin to fall by the end of the year.
spoken say this when you are not sure whether something will happen, because no one knows what will happen in the future: · I don't think I'll ever get married, but you never know.· Why don't you ask for a raise? You never know, they could say yes.
spoken say this when you have no way of knowing whether something is true or not true: · "Will you still be working here next year?" "Who knows? Maybe I will, maybe I won't."· Maybe he wasn't telling the truth. Who knows?
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
This might well be her last public performance (=it is fairly likely). One of the guards might easily panic and shoot someone (=it is likely). ‘What do they hope to achieve?’ ‘You might well ask.’ This caused a few gasps, as well it might.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES She was trying to entertain us – unsuccessfully, I might add (=used to comment on what you have just said). I might have known (=I am annoyed but not surprised) you would take that attitude. It might be worth your while to talk to the head of department.
This might well be her last public performance (=it is fairly likely). One of the guards might easily panic and shoot someone (=it is likely). ‘What do they hope to achieve?’ ‘You might well ask.’ This caused a few gasps, as well it might. She was trying to entertain us – unsuccessfully, I might add (=used to comment on what you have just said). I might have known (=I am annoyed but not surprised) you would take that attitude. It might be worth your while to talk to the head of department.PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► I/you might as well be hanged for a sheep as (for) a lamb► may just/might just► pigs might fly► it might/would be as well► could/may/might yet do something
1possibility a)if something might happen or might be true, there is a possibility that it may happen or may be true, but you are not at all certain: - All those years I might have known her!
- Although I might have known you'd arrive just as drinks were being ordered!
- Dear little Papa, as I might have known!
- If you'd had a big fat bottom I might have guessed.
- It was nothing I might have guessed.
- Of course, I might have known that you'd have some clever way of dealing with everything, though.
- Ooh! I might have known it!
- Some years before, I might have guessed Bond's enigmatic presence in the scene.
- And if you have to plough the field anyway, you might as well plant it at the same time.
- But what is unavoidable may still be undesirable, and one might as well say so.
- D.W. had come in over ocean and flown low as a drug smuggler over what might as well be called treetops.
- He might as well have gotten down on his hands and knees and begged for it.
- He said we might as well go before his sister arrived, because once she came, it would be impossible.
- I might as well have been a convert, a Gentile.
- I thought I might just as well come down to the point.
- You might as well go to a branch.
- A design engineer might well require an appreciation of transmission line theory to ensure that the two connect together without data corruption.
- And it might well have done.
- Especially in large urban areas, a particular linguistic feature of a regional dialect might well be influenced by social factors.
- He looked as if he might well be Gordon Brunt.
- Subsequent notification to each individual affected by a suspended measure might well jeopardise the long-term purpose that originally prompted the surveillance.
- The pay was welcome and there might well be plunder to boot, not to mention the excitement.
- Thus a number of sections become cut off from the entrances and these might well not be reopened.
- Undoubtedly the most modern method devised to preserve human bodies might well be said to belong to the realm of science fiction.
- And what happened to yours, might I ask?
- And battling it gracefully, I might add, wielding his mighty pen like a sword.
- Hair: grey and losing it, I might add.
- In passing, I might say how extraordinarily lucky I am to have them here with me.
- Likewise. I might add a little oregano, garlic, onions, salt, and butter once in a while.
- None of which has been answered yet, I might add.
- Very expensive method too I might add.
- Yes, they have decided to reinstate you, over my violent objections, I might add.
- A high-resolution image, by contrast, could easily run as large as 15 million to 20 million bytes.
- A single mutational step can easily be reversed.
- But a small error in the procedure could easily leave her inoperable, or at least changed beyond recognition.
- Governments can easily guarantee their employees a job, without guaranteeing the job they currently hold.
- If you are writing on a complex topic a reader can easily become confused.
- This was his hobby, sketching vertical monstrosities, though he might easily have been a spy.
- Yet the world champion is so unpredictably gifted that one on-song display could easily enable her to sweep aside the opposition.
- Young minds can easily assimilate and embrace all kinds of musical styles.
- As we have already noted, he may well have been a militant nationalist who did not shrink from violence.
- But the women whom they find may well not match their feminist consciousness.
- By and large Alex and I think these developments are likely to give tangible gains and could well become a priority for implementation.
- In addition, the clarification of such issues could well provide the initial stimulus for a whole school language policy.
- It is too early to be entirely sure, but it looks as though the tide may well have turned.
- The requirements may well be modified as detailed work and discussion proceed.
- And if you have to plough the field anyway, you might as well plant it at the same time.
- And we might as well get used to it and resolve to cope.
- Besides, they cost so much, you might as well get some fun out of them.
- I thought I might just as well come down to the point.
- If the traveler expects the high way to be safe and well-graded, he might as well stay at home.
- It might as well be now.
- She might as well see how the enemy behaved themselves in a place like this.
- While she was there, they might as well have added the charge of breaching the Trades Description Act.
- Marilyn looked guilty when she saw me, as well she might.
- And a deviant and mentally diseased species as well.
- Microscopes caught the imagination, as well they might.
I might be a few minutes late. She might not want to come with us. He might have missed the train. This might well be her last public performance (=it is fairly likely). One of the guards might easily panic and shoot someone (=it is likely). b)used as the past tense of ‘may’ when reporting that someone talked or thought about the possibility of something: He might be able to help you. I thought they might have gone home. She was worried that we might get hurt. c)used to say that something was a possibility in the past but did not actually happen: It was terrifying. We might have been killed.2suggesting used to suggest politely what someone should do: If you need more information, you might try the Internet. I thought we might go to the new Chinese restaurant on the High Street. It might be a good idea to put those plants in the shade. We’re going to a concert. You might like to come with us.3asking permission a)spoken especially British English used to politely ask for permission to do something: Might I borrow your pen? I wonder if I might speak to your son. b)used when reporting that someone asked for permission to do something: He asked if he might come in and look around.4somebody should have done something used when you are annoyed because someone has not done something that you think they should do: You might at least say thank you. They might have cleaned up before they left.5past purpose used after ‘so that’ or ‘in order that’ to say that someone did something in order to make something else happen or be possible: I asked for names and addresses so that I might pass on details to the police.6might I say/ask/add etc spoken especially British English used to politely give more information, ask a question, interrupt etc: Might I ask how old you are? Might I just say how lovely it is to see everyone here today.7I might say/add spoken used to emphasize what you are saying: I was, I might say, not surprised.8I might have known/guessed etc spoken used to say that you are not surprised at a situation: I might have known it was you! I might have guessed I’d get no sympathy from my family.9might (just) as well a)used to suggest that someone should do something, because there is no good reason to do anything else: I suppose we might as well go home. b)used to say that the effect of an action or situation is the same as if it was another one: They might as well have a badge on them saying ‘Steal me’. He might as well have been a million miles away.10although used to say that even though something is perhaps true, something different or opposite is also true: He might be nearly seventeen but he’s still very immature. Surprising as it might seem, some tourists actually enjoy the British weather. Although she might understand his beliefs, she could not accept them. Try as I might (=although I tried hard), I couldn’t work out the answer.11formal question used to ask a question in a formal and rather unfriendly way: And who might you be, young man?12might well used to say that there is a good reason for a reaction, question, or feeling: ‘What do they hope to achieve?’ ‘You might well ask.’ a system of which we in Britain might well be envious This caused a few gasps, as well it might.might1 modal verbmight2 noun
mightmight2 ●○○ noun [uncountable] WORD ORIGINmight2
Origin:
Old English mihtEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The full might of the army could not defeat them.
- The might of water overwhelmed dark earth, over the summits of the highest mountains.
- The Foundation is the source of power and might.
- Think of the might of a forest fire or the burning heat of the sun.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He swung the axe again with all his might.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES She was trying to entertain us – unsuccessfully, I might add (=used to comment on what you have just said). I might have known (=I am annoyed but not surprised) you would take that attitude. It might be worth your while to talk to the head of department.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
He swung the axe again with all his might. She was trying to entertain us – unsuccessfully, I might add (=used to comment on what you have just said). I might have known (=I am annoyed but not surprised) you would take that attitude. It might be worth your while to talk to the head of department.· Boss Mangan, the symbol of industrial and political might, is a love-stricken wreck easily manipulated by the go-getting Ellie Dunn.· They looked to the air as a source of jobs and industrial might.· I do not deny that it plays an important part, but the key to our strength is our industrial might.
· I had thought all our military might was in the Middle East.· They pointed out that the United States already had more military might than the rest of the world combined.· It was a realm controlled by the disciplined military might of the Franks.· It is not simply enough to amass capital, military might or political support.· But it was good television rather than a convincing display of military might.· Its military and technological might is such that no state can come close to challenging it in the foreseeable future.· The territories described above were all to feel the military might of the Franks under the remarkable leadership of Charles the Great.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► I/you might as well be hanged for a sheep as (for) a lamb► may just/might just► pigs might fly► it might/would be as well► could/may/might yet do something
1great strength and power: - Second, we need some kind of global bodies to prevent a further slide into a politics of might is right.
- What the child learns is that might is right.
- A high-resolution image, by contrast, could easily run as large as 15 million to 20 million bytes.
- A single mutational step can easily be reversed.
- But a small error in the procedure could easily leave her inoperable, or at least changed beyond recognition.
- Governments can easily guarantee their employees a job, without guaranteeing the job they currently hold.
- If you are writing on a complex topic a reader can easily become confused.
- This was his hobby, sketching vertical monstrosities, though he might easily have been a spy.
- Yet the world champion is so unpredictably gifted that one on-song display could easily enable her to sweep aside the opposition.
- Young minds can easily assimilate and embrace all kinds of musical styles.
- As we have already noted, he may well have been a militant nationalist who did not shrink from violence.
- But the women whom they find may well not match their feminist consciousness.
- By and large Alex and I think these developments are likely to give tangible gains and could well become a priority for implementation.
- In addition, the clarification of such issues could well provide the initial stimulus for a whole school language policy.
- It is too early to be entirely sure, but it looks as though the tide may well have turned.
- The requirements may well be modified as detailed work and discussion proceed.
- And if you have to plough the field anyway, you might as well plant it at the same time.
- And we might as well get used to it and resolve to cope.
- Besides, they cost so much, you might as well get some fun out of them.
- I thought I might just as well come down to the point.
- If the traveler expects the high way to be safe and well-graded, he might as well stay at home.
- It might as well be now.
- She might as well see how the enemy behaved themselves in a place like this.
- While she was there, they might as well have added the charge of breaching the Trades Description Act.
- Marilyn looked guilty when she saw me, as well she might.
- And a deviant and mentally diseased species as well.
- Microscopes caught the imagination, as well they might.
two individuals who took on the might of the English legal system He swung the axe again with all his might.2might is right British English, might makes right American English used to say that powerful people and countries are able to do whatever they want, especially when you disapprove of this