What does clout mean?
Clout is most widely used today as an informal term for influence or power, particularly in political, economic, or social spheres — a person or organization "with clout" is one whose backing can actually move decisions. The word also retains an older physical meaning: a heavy blow or sharp hit, as in giving someone a clout. Its history is surprisingly domestic, deriving from Old English clūt, meaning a scrap or patch of cloth; the sense of a blow may have developed from striking with a padded weapon or cloth-wrapped object. A fossilized trace of the cloth meaning survives in the proverb "Ne'er cast a clout till May be out," warning against putting away winter clothing too early. In modern usage, clout carries connotations of practical leverage rather than formal authority — it suggests getting things done through weight, connections, or reputation. It is a versatile, punchy word equally at home in news headlines about lobbying power and in casual talk about landing a blow.
Informal influence or power, especially in political or commercial affairs.
"Her long career gave her the clout to shape the company's direction."
Most commonly modified by adjectives like "real," "considerable," or "political."
A heavy blow or hard hit, typically with the hand or a blunt object.
"The ball caught him a painful clout on the shoulder."
Colloquial; chiefly British in expressions like "a clout round the ear."
A target used in archery practice.
"The arrows thudded into the clout across the field."
Chiefly British; associated with traditional longbow shooting at a cloth target laid on the ground.
To hit someone or something hard with the hand or a blunt instrument.
"She playfully clouted him with a rolled-up newspaper."
Informal and somewhat dated in tone.
Regular plural; used mostly for blows or hits rather than for the uncountable sense of influence.
"The boxer absorbed several clouts to the ribs before the bell."
"Clout" once literally meant a rag or patch of cloth — so the word for political power began life as an old piece of fabric.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of clout
Clout descends from the Old English noun clūt, meaning a lump, mass, or piece of cloth — a patch sewn onto a garment. It has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Middle Low German klūte (a lump or ball). From its earliest uses, the word could refer both to a piece of fabric and, by extension in some contexts, to a target or a blow, with the "heavy hit" sense becoming established by late Middle English and early modern times. The modern figurative sense of influence or power grew primarily from the idea of a forceful impact — having the weight to deliver a real blow — and rose to prominence in twentieth-century American usage.
Related word forms
How clout is actually used
The influence sense is informal-to-neutral and very common in journalism and everyday speech; it often appears in phrases like "political clout" or "carries a lot of clout." The blow sense is more colloquial and chiefly British in fixed expressions such as "a clout round the ear." The cloth sense is now archaic or dialectal, surviving mainly in the phrase "cast not a clout till May be out," a traditional English proverb advising against shedding warm clothes before May.
Easily confused with clout
Clutch means to grip tightly or a device for engaging gears, while clout refers to influence, a heavy blow, or historically a cloth patch.
Cloud is a visible mass of vapor or something that obscures, whereas clout is influence or a hard blow.