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

Many parts of Paris were this way until the interventions of Baron Haussmann, whose 19th-century redesign was made possible with the force of a military strongman.

From MIT Technology Review

The responsibility lies with a strongman regime that has ignored all caution.

From Time

If you see a new politician on the rise and want to know if this person has authoritarian leanings and could become a strongman, watch to see if he portrays himself as a victim.

From Time

The cult of victimhood is a fundamental part of the strongman.

From Time

The most successful strongmen have all known how to do this.

From Time

The New York Daily News declared that “Russian strongman Vladimir Putin has unleashed a weapon of mass distraction.”

From The Daily Beast

Egyptian strongman al Sisi may be more intent on obliterating Hamas than the Israelis are.

From The Daily Beast

As Egyptians go to the polls, the election of a new strongman is a foregone conclusion.

From The Daily Beast

Naw Kham held his ground, and became the undisputed local strongman.

From The Daily Beast

Björnsson is an Icelandic strongman competitor who won the 2011 Strongest Man in Iceland contest.

From The Daily Beast

Back of the Refresher, at about eye-level, are three Venusian coconuts that a Hittite strongman threw there during a major brawl.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• autocrat
• despot
• tyrant