horsepower

noun

horse·​pow·​er ˈhȯrs-ˌpau̇(-ə)r 

1

: the power that a horse exerts in pulling

2

: a unit of power equal in the U.S. to 746 watts and nearly equivalent to the English gravitational unit of the same name that equals 550 foot-pounds of work per second

3

: effective power

intellectual horsepower

computing horsepower

Synonyms

• energy
• firepower
• force
• might
• muscle
• potence
• potency
• power
• puissance
• sinew
• strength
• vigor

Examples of horsepower in a Sentence

an engine with 200 horsepower

that architectural firm probably doesn't have the creative horsepower to produce a truly innovative design

Recent Examples on the Web

Engine and Mileage The 2025 Yukon 4WD AT4 Ultimate w/SC comes equipped with a supercharged 6.2L V8 engine that produces around 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. —Josh Max, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Thornton Hundred Addressing the elephant in the room – 400 horsepower. —New Atlas, 25 Mar. 2025

With the reintroduction the Vanquish, the coupe delivers even more muscle, powered by a twin turbo V12 engine that produces 824 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque and its best performance ever, with a zero to 60 time of 3.2 seconds. —Scotty Reiss, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025

The truck's performance in the desert, thanks to its electric propulsion system -- 1,100 horsepower and 11,500 lb-ft of torque -- surprised the engineers, according to Tim Demetrio, manager of Chevy Performance engineering and motorsports competition. —Morgan Korn, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing horsepower

• shaft horsepower

Rhymes for horsepower

• candlepower
• cauliflower
• overpower
• superpower
• vavasour
• waterpower
• airpower
• brainpower
• devour
• empower
• firepower
• manpower

Kids Definition

horsepower

noun

horse·​pow·​er ˈhȯr-ˌspau̇(-ə)r 

: a unit of power equal in the U.S. to 746 watts and nearly equal to the English unit of the same name that equals 550 foot-pounds of work per second