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 of horsepower

• power
• energy
• strength
• muscle

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

One of them, a semi-rigid inflatable boat that was 14 meters long, weighed 5,000 kilos and powered by four 300-horsepower engines, pulled away, accelerated and rammed into the Zodiac, which was 6 meters long, weighed 500 kilos, and had only a single 150-horsepower engine. —Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026

Models like the 2022 Tesla Model X produce 670 horsepower using its standard dual-motor setup. —Charles Singh, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026

The top variant features a tri-motor all-wheel-drive system capable of producing up to 955 horsepower, placing it among the more powerful electric vehicles currently available. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026

The Launch Package version of the 2027 R2 Performance model starts at about $58,000 and features a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain producing 656 horsepower. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026

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