strong

[ strawng, strong ]

adjective

, strong·er [strawng, -ger, strong, -], strong·est [strawng, -gist, strong, -].

1. having, showing, or able to exert great bodily or muscular power; physically vigorous or robust:

   a strong boy.

   Synonyms: stalwart, stout, muscular, hardy, sinewy, brawny, sturdy, mighty

   Antonyms: weak

2. accompanied or delivered by great physical, mechanical, etc., power or force:

   a strong handshake;

   With one strong blow the machine stamped out a fender.

3. mentally powerful or vigorous:

   He may be old, but his mind is still strong.

4. especially able, competent, or powerful in a specific field or respect:

   She's very strong in mathematics.

   He's weak at bat, but he's a strong fielder.

   Synonyms: efficient, capable, talented

5. of great moral power, firmness, or courage:

   strong under temptation.

   Synonyms: brave, valiant

6. powerful in influence, authority, resources, or means of prevailing or succeeding:

   a strong nation.

7. aggressive; willful:

   a strong personality.

   Synonyms: intense, bold

8. of great force, effectiveness, potency, or cogency; compelling:

   strong reasons;

   strong arguments.

   Synonyms: conclusive, impressive, cogent, persuasive

9. clear and firm; loud:

   He has a strong voice.

10. solid or stable; healthy; thriving:

    The banker predicted a strong economy.

    Synonyms: secure, firm, steady

11. well-supplied or rich in something specific:

    a strong hand in trumps.

12. having powerful means to resist attack, assault, or aggression:

    a strong fortress;

    a strong defense.

13. able to resist strain, force, wear, etc.:

    strong walls;

    strong cloth.

14. decisively unyielding; firm or uncompromising:

    She has strong views about the United Nations.

    He has a strong sense of duty.

    Synonyms: resolute

15. fervent; zealous; thoroughgoing:

    He's a strong Democrat.

    Synonyms: vehement, fervid

16. strenuous or energetic; vigorous:

    strong efforts.

17. moving or acting with force or vigor:

    strong winds.

18. distinct or marked; vivid, as impressions, resemblance or contrast:

    He bears a strong resemblance to his grandfather.

    Synonyms: clear, unmistakable, striking

19. intense, as light or color.

    Synonyms: vivid, brilliant

20. having a large proportion of the effective or essential properties or ingredients; concentrated:

    strong tea.

21. (of a beverage or food) containing much alcohol:

    strong drink;

    The fruitcake was too strong.

22. having a high degree of flavor or odor:

    strong cheese;

    strong perfume.

    Synonyms: tart, tangy, hot, piquant, sharp, aromatic, pungent

23. having an unpleasant or offensive flavor or odor, especially in the process of decay:

    strong butter.

    Synonyms: rank, smelly

24. of a designated number:

    Marines 20,000 strong.

25. Commerce. characterized by steady or advancing prices:

    The market resumed its strong pace after yesterday's setback.

26. Grammar.
    1. (of Germanic verbs) having vowel change in the root in inflected forms, as the English verbs sing, sang, sung; ride, rode, ridden.
    2. (of Germanic nouns and adjectives) inflected with endings that are generally distinctive of case, number, and gender, as German alter Mann “old man.”
    3. belonging to the morphophonemically less regular of two inflectional subtypes.
27. (of a word or syllable) stressed.
28. Optics. having great magnifying or refractive power:

    a strong microscope.

adverb

1. strongly.

strong

/ strɒŋ /

adjective

1. involving or possessing physical or mental strength
2. solid or robust in construction; not easily broken or injured
3. having a resolute will or morally firm and incorruptible character
4. intense in quality; not faint or feeble

   a strong voice

   a strong smell

5. easily defensible; incontestable or formidable
6. concentrated; not weak or diluted
7. 1. postpositive containing or having a specified number

      a navy 40 000 strong

   2. ( in combination )

      a 40 000-strong navy

8. having an unpleasantly powerful taste or smell
9. having an extreme or drastic effect

   strong discipline

10. emphatic or immoderate

    strong language

11. convincing, effective, or cogent
12. (of a colour) having a high degree of saturation or purity; being less saturated than a vivid colour but more so than a moderate colour; produced by a concentrated quantity of colouring agent
13. grammar
    1. denoting or belonging to a class of verbs, in certain languages including the Germanic languages, whose conjugation shows vowel gradation, as sing, sang, sung
    2. belonging to any part-of-speech class, in any of various languages, whose inflections follow the less regular of two possible patterns Compare weak
14. (of a wind, current, etc) moving fast
15. (of a syllable) accented or stressed
16. (of an industry, market, currency, securities, etc) firm in price or characterized by firm or increasing prices
17. (of certain acids and bases) producing high concentrations of hydrogen or hydroxide ions in aqueous solution
18. prosperous; well-to-do (esp in the phrase a strong farmer )
19. have a strong stomach
    not to be prone to nausea

adverb

1. informal.
   in a strong way; effectively

   going strong

2. come on strong
   to make a forceful or exaggerated impression

Derived Forms

• ˈstrongish, adjective
• ˈstrongly, adverb
• ˈstrongness, noun

Other Words From

• strongish adjective
• strongly adverb
• strongness noun
• over·strong adjective
• over·strongly adverb
• over·strongness noun
• self-strong adjective
• super·strong adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of strong¹

First recorded before 900; (adjective) Middle English strang, strong, Old English; cognate with Middle Dutch stranc, Old Norse strangr; (adverb) Middle English strange, stronge, Old English; cognate with Old High German strango; akin to string

Word History and Origins

Origin of strong¹

Old English strang; related to Old Norse strangr, Middle High German strange, Lettish strans courageous

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. come on strong, Slang. to behave in an aggressive, ardent, or flamboyant manner:

   When you're interviewed for the job, don't come on too strong.

More idioms and phrases containing strong

• come on strong

Example Sentences

For example, genes associated with traits that allowed early Europeans to produce vitamin D and digest milk into adulthood showed strong signs of selection, but only in the most recent time periods.

From Science Daily

"We have identified a strong link between this positive social behavior, known to elicit joyous emotions, and some of the more intricate forms of cooperation seen in non-human species."

From Science Daily

Because of the scale of opposition to his plans, the government held a referendum on them in 2004, in the North-East region where support was thought to be strongest.

From BBC

"We’re sometimes faced with allegations of crime where people have strong opposing views. That’s why we work so hard to remain impartial and to investigate allegations, regardless of where they might lead."

From BBC

At the time of her arrest, she was on repeat prescriptions of a strong painkiller for chronic back pain.

From BBC

Related Words

• bold
• bright
• high
• hot
• potent
• powerful
• rich
• robust
• sharp