strapping
1 Americanadjective
-
powerfully built; robust.
-
large; whopping.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of strapping1
First recorded in 1650–60; strap + -ing 2
Origin of strapping2
Explanation
When someone is strapping, they're strikingly strong looking. Why don't you ask those strapping friends of yours to help you carry that piano up the stairs? The adjective strapping usually describe someone who appears to be young, muscular, and robust. When it was first used in the 17th century, it almost always referred to a tall, sturdy woman. Today, it's more often used for young men. Strapping is part of an odd category of adjectives meaning "large" which are formed from violent verbs — to strap is to "beat with a strap." Others are whopping and spanking.
Vocabulary lists containing strapping
Vigorous Vocab: Synonyms for "Strong"
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The Odyssey
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The Fault in Our Stars
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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
Mboko, with heavy strapping on her right leg, was broken again to slump 1-0 behind in the second set as she struggled to find any answers.
From Barron's • Jan. 25, 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
People can take steps such as securing objects that can topple and cause injuries when shaken — such as strapping bookcases and securing TVs to walls.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025
“How’s that big strapping brother of yours? Still saving lives?”
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
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.
