strong

[ strawng, strong ]

/ strɔŋ, strɒŋ /

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See synonyms for: strong / stronger / strongest / strongly on Thesaurus.com

adjective, strong·er

[strawng-ger, strong-], /ˈstrɔŋ gər, ˈstrɒŋ-/, strong·est

[strawng-gist, strong-]. /ˈstrɔŋ gɪst, ˈstrɒŋ-/.

having, showing, or able to exert great bodily or muscular power; physically vigorous or robust: a strong boy.

accompanied or delivered by great physical, mechanical, etc., power or force: a strong handshake;With one strong blow the machine stamped out a fender.

mentally powerful or vigorous: He may be old, but his mind is still strong.

especially able, competent, or powerful in a specific field or respect: She's very strong in mathematics.He's weak at bat, but he's a strong fielder.

of great moral power, firmness, or courage: strong under temptation.

powerful in influence, authority, resources, or means of prevailing or succeeding: a strong nation.

aggressive; willful: a strong personality.

of great force, effectiveness, potency, or cogency; compelling: strong reasons;strong arguments.

clear and firm; loud: He has a strong voice.

solid or stable; healthy; thriving: The banker predicted a strong economy.

well-supplied or rich in something specific: a strong hand in trumps.

having powerful means to resist attack, assault, or aggression: a strong fortress;a strong defense.

able to resist strain, force, wear, etc.: strong walls;strong cloth.

decisively unyielding; firm or uncompromising: She has strong views about the United Nations. He has a strong sense of duty.

fervent; zealous; thoroughgoing: He's a strong Democrat.

strenuous or energetic; vigorous: strong efforts.

moving or acting with force or vigor: strong winds.

distinct or marked; vivid, as impressions, resemblance or contrast: He bears a strong resemblance to his grandfather.

intense, as light or color.

having a large proportion of the effective or essential properties or ingredients; concentrated: strong tea.

(of a beverage or food) containing much alcohol: strong drink; The fruitcake was too strong.

having a high degree of flavor or odor: strong cheese;strong perfume.

having an unpleasant or offensive flavor or odor, especially in the process of decay: strong butter.

of a designated number: Marines 20,000 strong.

Commerce. characterized by steady or advancing prices: The market resumed its strong pace after yesterday's setback.

Grammar.

(of Germanic verbs) having vowel change in the root in inflected forms, as the English verbs sing, sang, sung; ride, rode, ridden.
(of Germanic nouns and adjectives) inflected with endings that are generally distinctive of case, number, and gender, as German alter Mann “old man.”
belonging to the morphophonemically less regular of two inflectional subtypes.

(of a word or syllable) stressed.

Optics. having great magnifying or refractive power: a strong microscope.

adverb

strongly.

OTHER WORDS FOR strong

1 mighty, sturdy, brawny, sinewy, hardy, muscular, stout, stalwart.

4 talented, capable, efficient.

5 valiant, brave.

7 bold, intense.

8 persuasive, cogent, impressive; conclusive.

10 steady, firm, secure.

14 unwavering, resolute.

15 fervid, vehement.

18 striking; unmistakable, clear.

19 brilliant, vivid.

22 pungent, aromatic; sharp, piquant, hot, tangy, tart.

23 smelly, rank.

See synonyms for strong on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR strong

1 weak.

See antonyms for strong on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about strong

come on strong, Slang. to behave in an aggressive, ardent, or flamboyant manner: When you're interviewed for the job, don't come on too strong.

Origin of strong

First recorded before 900; (adjective) Middle English strang, strong, Old English; cognate with Middle Dutch stranc, Old Norse strangr; (adverb) Middle English strange, stronge, Old English; cognate with Old High German strango; akin to string

OTHER WORDS FROM strong

strongish, adjectivestrongly, adverbstrongness, nouno·ver·strong, adjective

o·ver·strong·ly, adverbo·ver·strong·ness, nounself-strong, adjectivesu·per·strong, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use strong in a sentence

Researchers pressed ahead with trialing a two-dose regime after finding it produced a stronger response in 10 volunteers.
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is back on track after getting the green light to resume trials in the U.K.|Bernhard Warner|September 13, 2020|Fortune
Just stick to getting strong on your own for the time being.
The safest ways to exercise during a pandemic|Sara Kiley Watson|September 9, 2020|Popular-Science
Authorities may have failed at the time, but the village — and Switzerland as a whole — came out stronger.
How a Swiss Ski Resort Was Ravaged by Typhoid and Survived|Daniel Malloy|September 9, 2020|Ozy
We all know that a strong performance from a goaltender is crucial for Stanley Cup playoff success.
An Expensive Goalie Is Not Your Ticket To The Stanley Cup|Julian McKenzie|September 9, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

The other previous fastest corrections ever saw extremely strong returns out to a year later.
What to expect after a Nasdaq correction|Anne Sraders|September 9, 2020|Fortune
New refinements in aluminum made structures both stronger and lighter.
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?|Clive Irving|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But with a stronger quake, we could have a serious problem.
Florence Preps ‘David’ for the Big One|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead we must show that America “is different, stronger, and better than those who would destroy us.”
Why the Muslim World Isn’t Flipping Out Over the CIA Torture Report|Dean Obeidallah|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It's a shame, because Samberg's work on Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been stronger than ever this past season.
15 Enraging Golden Globe TV Snubs and Surprises: Amy Poehler, 'Mad Men' & More|Kevin Fallon|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Consider it a coffee table book for edgy rock fans who bliss out on something stronger than coffee.
The Golden Age of Rock Album Covers|Ted Gioia|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She opened the letter by the flickering firelight, which was stronger on the hearthrug than the light of the dim November day.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
The thoughts of most of us are little more than imitations and adaptations of the ideas of stronger minds.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
A stronger heart than Michael's might have quailed in his position; yet the pressure from without animated and invigorated him.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The nativesʼ anxiety to oust the Spaniards was far stronger than their wish to be under American, or indeed any foreign, control.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
Well, we must try our luck with a regulation sabre; they can't well refuse it; ours is the stronger and bigger man.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for strong

strong

/ (strɒŋ) /

adjective stronger (ˈstrɒŋɡə) or strongest (ˈstrɒŋɡɪst)

involving or possessing physical or mental strength

solid or robust in construction; not easily broken or injured

having a resolute will or morally firm and incorruptible character

intense in quality; not faint or feeblea strong voice; a strong smell

easily defensible; incontestable or formidable

concentrated; not weak or diluted

(postpositive) containing or having a specified numbera navy 40 000 strong
(in combination)a 40 000-strong navy

having an unpleasantly powerful taste or smell

having an extreme or drastic effectstrong discipline

emphatic or immoderatestrong language

convincing, effective, or cogent

(of a colour) having a high degree of saturation or purity; being less saturated than a vivid colour but more so than a moderate colour; produced by a concentrated quantity of colouring agent

grammar

denoting or belonging to a class of verbs, in certain languages including the Germanic languages, whose conjugation shows vowel gradation, as sing, sang, sung
belonging to any part-of-speech class, in any of various languages, whose inflections follow the less regular of two possible patternsCompare weak (def. 10)

(of a wind, current, etc) moving fast

(of a syllable) accented or stressed

(of an industry, market, currency, securities, etc) firm in price or characterized by firm or increasing prices

(of certain acids and bases) producing high concentrations of hydrogen or hydroxide ions in aqueous solution

Irish prosperous; well-to-do (esp in the phrase a strong farmer)

have a strong stomach not to be prone to nausea

adverb

informal in a strong way; effectivelygoing strong

come on strong to make a forceful or exaggerated impression

Derived forms of strong

strongish, adjectivestrongly, adverbstrongness, noun

Word Origin for strong

Old English strang; related to Old Norse strangr, Middle High German strange, Lettish strans courageous

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with strong

strong

In addition to the idioms beginning with strong

strong point
strong silent type
strong suit

also see:

come on strong

strong

OTHER WORDS FOR strong

OPPOSITES FOR strong

Idioms about strong

Origin of strong

OTHER WORDS FROM strong

Words related to strong

How to use strong in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for strong

Derived forms of strong

Word Origin for strong

Other Idioms and Phrases with strong