strongman

or strong man

[ strawng-man, strong- ]

/ ˈstrɔŋˌmæn, ˈstrɒŋ- /

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See synonyms for strongman on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural strong·men.

a person who performs remarkable feats of strength, as in a circus.

a political leader who controls by force; dictator.

the most powerful or influential person in an organization or business, by reason of skill in the formulation and execution of plans, work, etc.

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Origin of strongman

First recorded in 1855–60; strong + man

Words nearby strongman

strong force, strong gale, stronghold, strong interaction, strongly, strongman, strong meat, strong-minded, strong nuclear force, strongpoint, strongroom

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

How to use strongman in a sentence

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.
Rio de Janeiro is making a digital map of one of Brazil’s largest favelas|Fábio Duarte, Carlo Ratti, Washington Fajardo|April 28, 2021|MIT Technology Review
The responsibility lies with a strongman regime that has ignored all caution.
'This Is Hell.' Prime Minister Modi's Failure to Lead Is Deepening India's COVID-19 Crisis|Rana Ayyub|April 23, 2021|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.
Historian: Today’s Authoritarian Leaders Aren’t Fascists—But They Are Part of the Same Story|Olivia B. Waxman|November 10, 2020|Time
The cult of victimhood is a fundamental part of the strongman.
Historian: Today’s Authoritarian Leaders Aren’t Fascists—But They Are Part of the Same Story|Olivia B. Waxman|November 10, 2020|Time

The most successful strongmen have all known how to do this.
Historian: Today’s Authoritarian Leaders Aren’t Fascists—But They Are Part of the Same Story|Olivia B. Waxman|November 10, 2020|Time
The New York Daily News declared that “Russian strongman Vladimir Putin has unleashed a weapon of mass distraction.”
Ex-Spy Anna Chapman, From Russia Unloved|Anna Nemtsova|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Egyptian strongman al Sisi may be more intent on obliterating Hamas than the Israelis are.
Gazans Turn Their Rage on the Arab Leaders Who Watched Them Die|Jesse Rosenfeld|August 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As Egyptians go to the polls, the election of a new strongman is a foregone conclusion.
Let's Get Real: Washington Can't Walk Away From Cairo|Frank G. Wisner|May 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Naw Kham held his ground, and became the undisputed local strongman.
How China Used Drones to Capture a Notorious Burmese Drug Lord|Brendon Hong|April 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Björnsson is an Icelandic strongman competitor who won the 2011 Strongest Man in Iceland contest.
Meet Game of Thrones’ Sexy New Season 4 Cast: The Red Viper, Porn Stars, and More|Marlow Stern|April 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Back of the Refresher, at about eye-level, are three Venusian coconuts that a Hittite strongman threw there during a major brawl.
The Big Time|Fritz Reuter Leiber

British Dictionary definitions for strongman

strongman

/ (ˈstrɒŋˌmæn) /

noun plural -men

a performer, esp one in a circus, who performs feats of strength

any person regarded as a source of power, capability, initiative, etc

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

strongman

or strong man

Origin of strongman

Words nearby strongman

Words related to strongman

How to use strongman in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for strongman