Samson

American  

[sam-suhn] / ˈsæm sən /

noun

1. a judge of Israel famous for his great strength. Judges 13–16.

2. any man of extraordinary physical strength.

3. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “like the sun.”

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Samson British  

/ ˈsæmsən /

noun

1. a judge of Israel, who performed herculean feats of strength against the Philistine oppressors until he was betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah (Judges 13–16)

2. any man of outstanding physical strength

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Samson Cultural  

1. In the Old Testament, an Israelite servant of God who pitted his invincible strength and his wits against the Philistines on many occasions. He was eventually betrayed by his lover, the beautiful Delilah, who tricked Samson into telling her that the secret of his strength lay in his uncut hair. Delilah cut Samson's hair while he slept, and then called for the Philistines, who captured and blinded him. During his captivity, Samson's hair grew back, and he eventually pulled the Philistines' banquet hall down on their heads.

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Other Word Forms

• Samsonian
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Samson

Brazil’s foreign ministry said Saturday it had denied visas for Riley M. Barnes, assistant secretary from the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and ⁠Samuel Samson, a deputy assistant secretary of state.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

“I’ve always had this void. There’s this space I’d like to fill in my life,” Samson said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Spalding’s husband, Matthew, is that graduate school’s dean, and Samson has taken classes with one or both of them, according to a State Department official.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

In Frankfurt, Samson, a maker of industrial valves, expects around 450 of its approximately 2,000 German employees to retire within the next seven to eight years.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

The cold air made her strong as Samson.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers