strength
/strɛŋθ
/ /strɛŋkθ /noun [mass noun]
1The quality or state of being physically strong: cycling can help you build up your strength...
- It seems oddly ironic that one could build an exterior of strength, that being strong seems strangely easier than being weak.
- Male advantages in physical strength and spatial skills were probably more useful in the past.
- His strength and other physical qualities already outmatch those of normal humans, but they are far from complete.
Synonyms
power, brawn, brawniness, muscle, muscularity, burliness, sturdiness, robustness, toughness, hardiness, lustiness;
vigour, energy, force, might, forcefulness, mightiness
informal beef
British informal welly
literary thew, thewiness
1.1The influence or power possessed by a person, organization, or country: the political and military strength of European governments...
- A great power possesses economic, diplomatic, and military strength and influence, and its interests extend beyond its own borders.
- They would then possess better strength and power to anticipate negative elements around them, he added.
- The solution is a world government with a full legislature, courts, and enough military strength to enforce its power.
Synonyms
power, influence, dominance, ascendancy, supremacy;
leverage
informal clout, beef
literary puissance
1.2The degree of intensity of a feeling or belief: street protests demonstrated the strength of feeling against the president...
- With that strength of belief, all we needed was a break.
- Speculation that China may adjust its own currency peg and allow the yuan to rise has also lent strength to the belief that Malaysia might follow suit.
- The strength of her belief, of her conviction, warped the dream around her.
Synonyms
intensity, vehemence, force, forcefulness, depth, ardour, fervour, violence;
degree, level
rare fervency, ardency
1.3The extent to which an argument or case is sound or convincing: the strength of the argument for property taxation...
- The strength of the argument, however, lies not in its ability to convince but in what it removes.
- Many of you commented and added strength to the arguments (thanks again for that).
- Also, addressing people by correct name and title may put more strength to your argument.
Synonyms
cogency, forcefulness, force, weight, power, potency, persuasiveness, effectiveness, efficacy, soundness, validity
1.4The potency, intensity, or speed of a force or natural agency: the wind had markedly increased in strength...
- Similar considerations to those we have just given show that the weak force changes in effective strength as the energy at which it is measured increases.
- As a hurricane gains strength, its barometric pressure reading drops.
- We just had a wind gust report down there on the coast of hurricane force strength.
1.5 Bridge The potential of a hand to win tricks, arising from the number and type of high cards it contains.Discarding a high card followed by a low card shows strength....
- This is typically done with a higher strength turned up card, though it may be done with any card.
- This gives their partner a hint as to what to lead later on if their own hand is weak, yet doesn't give away the true strength of inviter's hand.
2The capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure: they were taking no chances with the strength of the retaining wall...
- The bone tissue is normal with a normal shape but it has lost mass and density and so lacks sufficient strength to withstand the forces which normally occur in daily life.
- It exceeds the elastic strength pressure and permissible pressure.
- Bracing variables include wind pressure, strength of masonry, type of system, and type of strut anchorage.
Synonyms
robustness, sturdiness, firmness, toughness, soundness, solidity, solidness, durability, stability;
impregnability, resistance
2.1The emotional or mental qualities necessary in dealing with difficult or distressing situations: many people find strength in religion it takes strength of character to admit one needs help...
- In which situations did you receive strength to face difficulties?
- In emotional and mental strength she far supersedes a man.
- Berbizier castigated them after Paris, saying that it was more a lack of mental strength than an absence of fitness that saw them beaten.
Synonyms
fortitude, resilience, backbone, spirit, strength of character, toughness of spirit, firmness, steadfastness, strong-mindedness, stoicism;
courage, bravery, pluck, pluckiness, courageousness, braveness;
British Dunkirk spirit
informal guts, grit, spunk
3The potency or degree of concentration of a drug, chemical, or drink: it’s double the strength of your average beer [count noun]: the solution comes in two strengths...
- In practice, even if patients were to take the wrong strength of these drugs it would make only a small difference, but for more toxic medicines it could prove fatal.
- The black market also makes judging the drug's strength impossible, making overdose a high likelihood.
- The clostridium virus is believed to have come from dirt used to cut the drug to reduce its strength.
4 [count noun] A good or beneficial quality or attribute of a person or thing: the strengths and weaknesses of their sales and marketing operation his strength was his obsessive single-mindedness...
- America's economic strengths lie in qualities that are hard to distill into simple statistics or trends.
- As you might expect, he believes his physical attributes are his greatest strengths.
- But at the end of the day, everyone has their own unique attributes and strengths that drive them forward.
Synonyms
strong point, advantage, asset, forte, strong suit, long suit, aptitude, talent, gift, skill;
virtue;
speciality, specialty;
French métier
4.1 literary A person or thing perceived as a source of mental or emotional support: he was my closest friend, my strength and shield...
- He was always such a strength in supporting us, not pulling back on things we held dear and believed in.
- At this time, we remind ourselves that God is our rock, our strength, and support.
- You are my strength and my song, my God. I trust in you and I shall not fear.
Synonyms
support, tower/pillar of strength, rock, mainstay, anchor
5The number of people comprising a group, typically a team or army: the peacetime strength of the army was 415,000...
- In legal terms, these numbers don't count against the Army's end strength.
- The plan states that the army's numerical strength should be brought down to 42,100 people by 2004.
- We have got more than half the deployable strength of the U.S. Army there.
Synonyms
size, extent, magnitude, largeness, greatness;
complement
5.1A number of people required to make such a group complete: we are now more than 100 officers below strength some units will be maintained at full strength while others will rely on reserves City were under strength, yet put up a creditable performance [in combination]: an under-strength side...
- Ballinakill were now back at full strength having been reduced to 14, midway through the opening half.
- If police can cut crime with their present manpower levels, imagine what they could achieve at full strength.
- Fortunately, Stackpole Community Council remains at full strength and a recent vacancy attracted interest from more than one candidate.
Phrases
from strength
give me strength!
go from strength to strength
in strength
on the strength of
the strength of
tower (or pillar) of strength
Derivatives
strengthless
- It appears almost impossible to elicit a strong full sound even with the mightiest sweep of the strings: it fades away immediately, and in the next moment it already echoes away strengthless in historically subdued vapours.
- My pace slowed back into its former, strengthless, heavy trudge.
- If he is out of tune why is he favourite, and if Leona sings with a strengthless whistle why is she second favourite.
Origin
Old English strengthu, from the Germanic base of strong.
Rhymes
- unbox
- unboxed
- unboxing
- unbrace
- unbraid
- unbranched
- unbranded
- unbreachable
- unbreakable
- unbreathable
- unbribable
- unbridgeable
- neuroembryological
- neuroembryologist
- neuroembryology
- neuroendocrine
- neuroendocrinology
- neuroenteric
- neuroepidermal
- neuroepithelial
- neuroepithelium
- neuroethology
- neurofibril
- neurofibrilla
- neurofibrillar