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Synonyms

strapping

1 American  
[strap-ing] / ˈstræp ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. powerfully built; robust.

  2. large; whopping.

strapping 2 American  
[strap-ing] / ˈstræp ɪŋ /

noun

  1. straps collectively.

  2. material used to make a strap or straps.

    manufacturers of plastic strapping.
strapping British  
/ ˈstræpɪŋ /

adjective

  1. (prenominal) tall and sturdy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of strapping1

First recorded in 1650–60; strap + -ing 2

Origin of strapping2

First recorded in 1800–10; strap + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Why people are strapping cameras on their bodies to do chores.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

Wang seemingly gestured towards her groin when she called the physio and returned with heavy strapping on her upper right leg.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

Ser Duncan the Tall, is a strapping but awkward young man with little confidence and few skills.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026

Overlooking David’s many strapping older brothers, the wise elder anoints the astonished kid as the next king, but cautions him that the ceremony must be kept secret.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

So it came to pass that at 4:45 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, I found myself at the foot of the fabled Icefall, strapping on my crampons in the frigid predawn gloom.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.