strong
/strɒŋ
/adjective (stronger /ˈstrɒŋɡə/, strongest /ˈstrɒŋɡɪst/)
1Having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks: she cut through the water with her strong arms...
- Polar bears have a heavy stout body with strong muscular legs and well-developed neck muscles.
- Get these out of the way while you're fresh and strong enough to use heavy weight.
- The man facing them was taller than both by a few inches, and had strong, brawny arms.
Synonyms
powerful, muscular, brawny, well built, powerfully built, strapping, sturdy, hefty, burly, meaty, robust, fit, athletic, vigorous, tough, rugged;
stalwart, staunch, mighty, hardy;
lusty, Herculean, strong as an ox/horse/lion
informal beefy, hunky, husky, ripped, shredded
North American informal buff
US informal jacked
1.1 [attributive] Able to perform a specified action well and powerfully: he was not a strong swimmer...
- Thresher sharks can grow up to 20 ft and are strong swimmers who can completely vault out of water.
- The spokesman explained that, if caught in a rip tide, strong swimmers should swim for shore at a 45 angle to the current.
- Myra's grief was tinged with guilt that she, the strong swimmer who could have saved him, should have been there with him that day.
1.2Exerting great force: a strong current...
- He slowly backed out of the stream before the rush became too strong to resist.
- We've got a pretty strong south wind.
- Although there was a very strong wind we managed a swim in the Atlantic.
Synonyms
forceful, powerful, vigorous, fierce, intense, extreme
1.3Powerful and difficult to resist or defeat: a strong leader the competition was too strong the company was in a strong position to negotiate a deal...
- Fear is a powerful motivator, and it takes strong ethics to resist the temptation to abuse it.
- He said attitudinal change among the people is a strong weapon to defeat the cult of violence.
- I resisted the strong temptation to tell him to go jump off a cliff, and kept quiet.
1.4(Of an argument or case) likely to succeed because of sound reasoning or convincing evidence: there is a strong argument for decentralization...
- Does that argument reveal a strong case for electoral reform in Canada?
- The evidence suggests that a strong case can be made for a planned strategy using militia.
- If the case is as strong as it sounds, then it may settle on favorable terms to the white plaintiffs.
Synonyms
compelling, cogent, forceful, powerful, potent, weighty, convincing, plausible, effective, efficacious, sound, valid, well founded, telling;
impressive, persuasive, influential, authoritative
1.5Powerfully affecting the mind, senses, or emotions: his imagery made a strong impression on the critics...
- Her crunch has the ability to sense strong emotion and she could track me here.
- In the minds of Chinese, this history inspires a strong sense of indignation.
- Her strong sense of duty called to mind her grandfather George V and Queen Victoria.
Synonyms
intense, forceful, vehement, passionate, ardent, fervent, profound, deep-seated;
consuming, extreme, acute, fierce
rare fervid, perfervid, passional
1.6(Of language or actions) forceful and extreme, especially excessively or unacceptably so: the government were urged to take strong measures against the perpetrators of violence a play full of strong language...
- Apart from the sexually explicit scenes, the language is very strong.
- Their language is so strong, we've got to redefine, we've gotta take back words.
- The language is strong beyond maximum Trebor strength yet never jars; the performances even stronger.
Synonyms
firm, forceful, severe, strict, drastic, extreme, draconian
2Able to withstand force, pressure, or wear: cotton is strong, hard-wearing, and easy to handle...
- By 1216 the castle was sufficiently strong to withstand a siege by forces opposed to King John.
- Basically any pumpkin that is strong enough to withstand sharp carving tools can be used for making designs.
- You are entitled to goods which are not faulty and are strong enough to withstand normal use for a reasonable period of time.
Synonyms
secure, well built, indestructible, well fortified, well defended, well protected, impregnable, impenetrable, inviolable, unassailable;
solid
durable, hard-wearing, heavy-duty, tough, sturdy, well made, substantial, solid, rugged;
resistant, resilient, imperishable, indestructible, long-lasting, enduring
2.1Not easily affected by disease or hardship: despite his strong constitution, constant worry and exposure to the elements had worn him down...
- Hmm, you've got to have a pretty strong constitution to whack down two uncooked eggs as Mr Hogg suggests.
- And, frankly that would have any man with a strong constitution running for The Other Bus.
- To explore the hole you needed a very long ladder and a strong constitution: it stank and was crawling with rats.
Synonyms
well, healthy, in good health, fit, fighting fit, robust, vigorous, blooming, thriving, bursting with health, in rude health, hale, hale and hearty, hearty, in good shape, in excellent shape, in good condition, in good trim, in fine fettle, sound, sound in body and limb
informal in the pink, fit as a fiddle, in tip-top condition
2.2Not easily disturbed, upset, or affected: driving on these motorways requires strong nerves only a strong will enabled him to survive...
- Despite being paralysed from the neck down after a car accident, Clive was a strong and independent character, she said.
- A man possessed of a strong independent spirit, he lived on his own in Derreens until his early nineties.
- The new Bollywood stars are role models for them, strong, independent and bold.
Synonyms
forceful, determined, spirited, dynamic, self-assertive, tough, tenacious, high-powered, formidable, aggressive, redoubtable, zealous, firm, resolute, strong-minded
informal gutsy, feisty
2.3Firmly held or established: he was a man of strong, though unconventional, religious beliefs they had established a strong and trusting relationship...
- I look forward to establishing a strong working relationship with you and to continue representing your company.
- They have strong beliefs, but strong beliefs firmly anchored in the real and the achievable.
- This Institute has already established a strong track record in the research arena.
Synonyms
keen, eager, deep, acute, dedicated, passionate, fervent, zealous
keen, eager, enthusiastic, earnest, dedicated, staunch, loyal, steadfast, passionate, fierce, fervent
2.4(Of a market) having steadily high or rising prices.It is prudent to be cautious, especially in a strong market where prices are high....
- Analysis of historical data shows that strong market runs are followed by periods where indexes mark time.
- Certainly a strong recovery and a rising stock market will increase tax revenues.
3Very intense: a strong smell...
- Bright lights, especially flashing lights, and strong smells, can also bring on an attack.
- Sometimes we had to break down doors, and that was hard for my guys who are going from strong sunlight into interiors that could be hostile.
- Throughout the dream, I am overwhelmed by a strong smell of dampness.
Synonyms
intense, deep, rich, warm, bright, brilliant, vivid, striking, colourful, graphic
bright, brilliant, intense, radiant, gleaming, dazzling, glaring
3.1(Of something seen or heard) not soft or muted; clear or prominent: she should wear strong colours...
- The male with the wheat colored hair and strong hawk like feature came forward, behind Mint, surprising her.
- This collection as usual, featured lots of strong colors and a variety of shapes.
- She heard Vasic's voice, soft yet strong enough to cut through the chatter.
Synonyms
loud, powerful, forceful, lusty, stentorian, resonant, sonorous, orotund, full, rich, deep, booming, penetrating, carrying, clear;
strident
informal fruity
rare canorous
3.2(Of food or its flavour) distinctive and pungent: strong cheese...
- The chicken tasted very fresh and the sauce was delicious with a strong mustard flavour.
- It proved fresh and filling with a strong tomato flavour and far too much pasta for a mere mortal to consume in one session.
- It had a dark orange sauce with a strong coconut flavour that was really quite enticing.
Synonyms
highly flavoured, strongly flavoured, flavourful, flavoursome, savoury, pungent, aromatic, piquant, tangy, sharp, biting, zesty, spicy, hot
rare flavorous, sapid
3.3(Of a solution or drink) containing a large proportion of a particular substance; concentrated: a cup of strong coffee strong lager...
- To drink strong liquor is also useful since nights get rather cold on the grasslands.
- The jury heard how Hart had drunk strong coffee repeatedly as he drove, had the driver's window wound fully down and the car radio on.
- Also on display was his lager and strong ale, so we gave it a quality control test, to make sure that they still tasted good.
Synonyms
concentrated, undiluted, highly flavoured
alcoholic, intoxicating, inebriating, hard, heady, potent, stiff, spirituous, vinous, intoxicant
3.4 Chemistry (Of an acid or base) fully ionized into cations and anions in solution; having (respectively) a very low or a very high pH.Addition of a strong base to a solution of a strong acid is just the reverse process....
- This process is complicated by the fact that nitric acid acts as a strong oxidizing agent as well as an acid.
- They require either a strong oxidizing agent to react with an acid or they undergo no reaction at all.
4Used after a number to indicate the size of a group: a hostile crowd several thousands strong
5 Grammar Denoting a class of verbs in Germanic languages that form the past tense and past participle by a change of vowel within the stem rather than by addition of a suffix (e.g. swim, swam, swum).It is very concrete, and consists of strong nouns and a strong verb, with no modifiers.
6 Physics Relating to or denoting the strongest of the known kinds of force between particles, which acts between nucleons and other hadrons when closer than about 10−13 cm (so binding protons in a nucleus despite the repulsion due to their charge), and which conserves strangeness, parity, and isospin.Protons and neutrons are held together in a nucleus of an atom by the strong force....
- His special theory of relativity does not work around strong gravitational fields.
- In a strong electric field, free electrons can be accelerated onto its inner surface.
Phrases
come on strong
going strong
strong on
strong meat
one's strong point
Derivatives
strongish
- My ideal political scenario would be Labour c.2002 and a strongish Alliance Party.
- So far back was the tee on a day when the hole was played into a strongish breeze, that many of the field were unable even to reach the fairway.
- On the other hand, Damase's Quatre Facettes on the final track are generally of a strongish character.
Origin
Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German streng, also to string.
string from Old English:
The Germanic root of the Old English word string is related to strong, and in early use it could refer to a rope or cord of any thickness. If you have many strings to your bow you have a wide range of resources, just as an archer ought to have spare strings. A different kind of string lies behind the expression have someone on a string, meaning ‘to have someone under your control or influence’. The idea behind this 16th-century phrase is of a puppeteer manipulating a puppet by its strings. An opportunity or offer with no strings attached has no special conditions or restrictions that apply. This is a relatively recent expression, first used in the 1950s, though it is based on an earlier US use of string meaning ‘a limitation or condition’.