What are all of the numerous meanings of clout? This article will teach you about the definitions of the word clout and how to use them.
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Kevin
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March 8, 2022
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The word clout has many meanings. You may think that you know what clout means, but are you positive that you know all of the different definitions of clout? This article will cover the various meanings of clout, how to use clout in a sentence, translations of clout, and synonyms and antonyms of clout.
What Does the Word Clout Mean?
According to Collins English Dictionary, the word clout has several different meanings. First, clout can be a noun meaning a blow or a hit, usually with a hand or a hard object.
In politics, clout can refer to political power or influence. In archery and long-distance shooting, clout refers to the center of the target shot. In baseball, a clout is a long hit.
Clout can also refer to a clout nail head, which is used to attach a sheet metal plate or iron plate to wood or timber and is flat-headed with a broad head.
In the United Kingdom dialect, a clout can refer to a patch, rag, garment, or piece of cloth. As a verb, the word clout either means to hit with a hard blow or to patch or mend something with leather or cloth.
What Is the Origin of Clout?
According to Dictionary, the word clout has been used since the Middle English clod and comes from the Old English clūt, meaning metal or cloth. The word clout is also related to the Dutch kluit, Swedish klut, Middle High German klōz, Russian gluda, Old Norse klūtr, Danish klud, and Middle Low German klūte. This word comes from Proto-Germanic roots.
How Can Clout Be Used in a Sentence?
The word clout has many definitions and can be used in sentences as a noun or a verb. When you look at these example sentences containing clout, see if you can determine which meaning of clout is being used!
Example 1: Baseball
The clout into deep center field got us an extra-base hit and the winning run!
Example 2: A Hard Hit From a Hand
He hit me on the head with painful clout, leaving a lump.
Example 3: Political Influence
The candidate had a lot of clout and strong influence. Heads turned when he walked into city hall, and his popularity was off the charts. The wealthy campaign contributor was happy to have backed that particular candidate.
Example 4: Cultural Influence
The influencer had a lot of clout on Twitter and Instagram, but people would bully her relentlessly on Facebook.
Example 5: Wishing for Influence
The rappers were total clout chasers, always wearing sunglasses and pretending they were famous.
Example 6: A Patch for a Cloth
She patched the kerchief with a clout made from a fragment or shred of clothing. The piece of white cloth looked good as new.
Example 7: A Hard Hit From an Object
She hit me on the back of the hand with a hard clout from her boot sole when I broke the washer.
What Are Translations of Clout?
Clout also appears in other languages, according to Nice Translator. Which of the below translations of clout did you already know, if any?
If you learn translations of the word clout, you can discuss this concept with people who speak different languages.
- Estonian: mõju
- Basque: txor
- Greek: καρπαζιά
- Dutch: kloppen
- Slovak: klub
- French: poids
- Polish: klaps
- Thai: อิทธิพล
- Romanian: palmă
- Arabic: نفوذ
- Turkish: coşku
- Malayalam: ശലംമാശം
- Bulgarian: наклонност
- Tamil: கலம்
- Welsh: glytiau
- Spanish: influencia
- Hindi: ताकत
- Chinese (PRC): 克劳
- Afrikaans: klouter
- Ukrainian: розваг
- Croatian: ptica
- Telugu: cout
- Russian: освидетельствование
- German: Schlagkraft
- Portuguese (Brazil): fride
- Marathi: clout
- Korean: 강타
- Malay: pengaruh
- Latvian: rībiens
- Kannada: ವಿಳಂಬ
- Hebrew: clout
- Gujarati: ઢીલું કરવું
- Serbian: приколити
- Czech: vliv
- Finnish: kerätä
- Swedish: clout
- Chinese (Taiwan): 克勞
- Indonesian: pengaruh
- Catalan: inflamació
- Hungarian: kanyarodás
- Portuguese (Portugal): fride
What Are Synonyms of the Word Clout?
Since the word clout has so many potential definitions, it can be useful to know synonyms of the word. That way, you can clarify what you mean by clout if someone is confused. Study this list of synonyms of clout from Power Thesaurus, and learn synonyms to keep in your back pocket.
- assault
- authority
- bang
- bash
- batter
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- buffet
- bust
- clip
- clobber
- club
- crack
- cuff
- dominance
- force
- hammer
- hit
- influence
- knock
- leverage
- lick
- might
- muscle
- poke
- pound
- power
- prestige
- pull
- pummel
- punch
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- smite
- sock
- spank
- strength
- strike
- swat
- sway
- swipe
- thrash
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- weight
- whack
What Are Antonyms of the Word Clout?
Plenty of words have the opposite meaning of clout and are called antonyms of clout. You can study this list of antonyms of the word clout from Power Thesaurus to learn all about what words are opposites.
- ban
- barricade
- be on the side of
- be the defender of
- beginning
- breach
- break
- cause
- commencement
- cover
- debility
- defend
- disadvantage
- disregard
- failure
- inaptitude
- inferiority
- lack
- lethargy
- lose
- loss
- no control
- powerlessness
- prohibition
- subordination
- weakness
Conclusion
Overall, the word clout has numerous meanings as both a noun and a verb. The word clout can refer to a type of hit from a hand or a hard object, and it also has specific meanings in politics, baseball, and tennis. The word clout can also be used as a verb to mean to hit, whack, or patch with a piece of cloth.
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