having great power or force or potency or effect; "the most powerful government in western Europe"; "his powerful arms"; "a powerful bomb"; "the horse's powerful kick"; "powerful drugs"; "a powerful argument"
resist or confront with resistance; "The politician defied public opinion"; "The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear"; "The bridge held"
elude, especially in a baffling way; "This behavior defies explanation"
abounding in or given to pompous or aphoristic moralizing; "too often the significant episode deteriorates into sententious conversation"- Kathleen Barnes
characterized by or full of force or strength (often but not necessarily physical); "a forceful speaker"; "a forceful personality"; "forceful measures"; "a forceful plan for peace"
help to readapt, as to a former state of health or good repute; "The prisoner was successfully rehabilitated"; "After a year in the mental clinic, the patient is now rehabilitated"
restore to a state of good condition or operation
reinstall politically; "Deng Xiao Ping was rehabilitated several times throughout his lifetime"
very lively and profitable; "flourishing businesses"; "a palmy time for stockbrokers"; "a prosperous new business"; "doing a roaring trade"; "a thriving tourist center"; "did a thriving business in orchids"