leverage
/ˈliːv(ə)rɪdʒ
/ /ˈlɛv(ə)rɪdʒ/noun [mass noun]
1The exertion of force by means of a lever: my spade hit something solid that wouldn’t respond to leverage...
- This is the flexible or efficient use of balance, leverage, and movement in the performance of Judo throws and other skills.
- The design, now standard equipment on all Top Fuel dragsters, used leverage over brute force to apply more downforce with less drag, and the results were immediate.
- He stresses the importance of getting out of one's stance quickly while maintaining good balance and leverage.
Synonyms
grip, purchase, hold, grasp;
contact, attachment, support, anchorage, force, strength;
resistance, friction
1.1Mechanical advantage gained by leverage: use a metal bar to increase the leverage...
- He uses his strong legs to gain leverage and explode into defenders.
- We scoured the aircraft for something to gain some leverage.
- He could have used a cluster of juniper bushes to gain leverage.
1.2The power to influence a person or situation: the right wing had lost much of its political leverage in the Assembly...
- Thus the US would have greater leverage in negotiations over trade, investments and so forth.
- If you can't threaten someone with a vendetta, then you have very little leverage in negotiations.
- The NFL also needs multiple cities competing to host the game in order to get maximum leverage in negotiations.
Synonyms
influence, power, authority, weight, sway, control, say, ascendancy, dominance, advantage, pressure, edge, standing, prestige, rank
informal pull, clout, muscle, teeth, beef
2 Finance The ratio of a company’s loan capital (debt) to the value of its ordinary shares (equity); gearing.
2.1The use of credit or borrowed capital to increase the earning potential of shares.They are free to pursue or abandon any investing strategy they want, including the use of leverage to pump up investment returns....
- Reckless companies used leverage to do $3 trillion of mergers and acquisitions in 2006, at the top of the market.
- In summary, duration leverage can be a useful tool, but it must be used with moderation.
verb [with object]
1 (usually as adjective leveraged) Use borrowed capital for (an investment), expecting the profits made to be greater than the interest payable: a leveraged takeover bid...
- Tracker bonds are leveraged investment funds that track the performance of a stock market index or a basket of indices.
- The hedge fund and leveraged speculating community have seen massive inflows and taken on unparalleled leverage.
- The more an investment can be leveraged the more attractive it becomes, provided the cost of money remains the same.
2Use (something) to maximum advantage: the organization needs to leverage its key resources...
- This means the day-long event will provide quality information about how to leverage IT for competitive advantage.
- While this trait is generally regarded as a weakness among us common folk, politicians can leverage it to their advantage.
- While there were many new tools available, most people reverted to old processes using new tools rather than changing the process to leverage new tools to advantage.
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- pterygium
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- pterygoid bone
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- pterygoid muscle
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