Describing Strength and Influence: English Vocabulary List

not changing one's decision to do something despite opposition

"She is very determined."

"The determined young woman studied for twelve hours every day for six months until she finally passed the difficult exam."

having control, influence, or authority over others

"He has a dominating presence."

"The dominating performance of the home team left the visitors with no chance of winning and the game was over by halftime."

not capable of being effectively hindered or stopped

"The force is unstoppable."

"The unstoppable force of the avalanche destroyed everything in its path including trees houses and cars in the valley below."

showing firmness in one's opinions and refusing to be swayed or influenced

"She is adamant about this."

"He was adamant that he would not attend the wedding because he had not forgiven his brother for the argument five years ago."

not possessing the power or ability to affect a situation

"He felt impotent."

"The impotent rage that he felt against the unfair system made him want to scream but he knew that shouting would not help."

lacking the necessary ability or skill to perform a specific task or achieve a particular outcome

"She is incapable."

"The incapable leader was removed from his position after it became clear that he could not handle the responsibilities of managing the large team."

failing to achieve a desired result

"The attempts were ineffectual."

"The ineffectual attempts to calm the angry crowd only made the situation worse and the police had to be called to restore order."

unable to result in success or anything useful

"The effort was futile."

"The futile effort to save the old building from demolition failed because the city council had already voted unanimously to tear it down."

became physically or mentally weakened, often resulting in a loss of strength or vitality

"His body is enfeebled."

"The enfeebled old man could no longer walk without a cane and his hands shook too much to write his name."

having a position of authority or power

"She has a commanding voice."

"The commanding officer gave clear instructions to his troops before they went into battle and everyone understood exactly what their role was."

able to be physically harmed or wounded

"The child is vulnerable."

"The vulnerable child was easy to bully because he was smaller than the other kids and he did not have many friends."

persuasive in a way that captures attention or convinces effectively

"His story is compelling."

"The compelling argument made by the defense attorney convinced the jury that the defendant was innocent and they returned a verdict of not guilty."

commanding great respect or fear due to having exceptional strength, excellence, or capabilities

"The challenge is formidable."

"The formidable opponent had won every match for the past two years and the younger player knew that beating him would be very difficult."

lacking decisiveness, firmness, and courage

"His answer was wishy-washy."

"The wishy washy manager could not make a firm decision about anything and the employees became frustrated with the lack of clear direction from him."

lacking power, strength, or effectiveness

"The toothless law had no effect."

"The toothless regulations failed to address the root causes of the problem, leaving it unresolved."

not functioning or not in working order, indicating a lack of operation or effectiveness

"The machine is inoperative."

"The inoperative elevator meant that the elderly residents of the building had to climb ten flights of stairs to get to their apartments."