strongman

or strong man

[ strawng-man, strong- ]

noun

, plural strong·men.

1. a person who performs remarkable feats of strength, as in a circus.
2. a political leader who controls by force; dictator.
3. the most powerful or influential person in an organization or business, by reason of skill in the formulation and execution of plans, work, etc.

strongman

/ ˈstrɒŋˌmæn /

noun

1. a performer, esp one in a circus, who performs feats of strength
2. any person regarded as a source of power, capability, initiative, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of strongman¹

First recorded in 1855–60; strong + man

Example Sentences

That's why I flinched to hear pundits describe Trump as a "strongman," and even worry at times about the word "fascist," though I use it out of a commitment to truth-telling.

From Salon

These glaring differences aside, Trump does seem to admire Xi’s strongman image.

From BBC

The person setting all this in motion is a Harkonnen, a name associated in the movie “Dune”-iverse with violent strongman rulership and all-purpose villainy.

From Salon

To scholars of authoritarianism, asserting a high degree of personal control over the military is typical of global strongmen in the mold of Syria’s Bashar Assad or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

From Los Angeles Times

But even a strongman may discover that there are limits to what he can do.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• autocrat
• despot
• tyrant