Describing Strength and Influence: English Vocabulary List

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."

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."

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."

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."