strongman

American  

[strawng-man, strong-] / ˈstrɔŋˌmæn, ˈstrɒŋ- /

Or strong man

noun

strongmen plural

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

2. a political leader who controls by force; dictator.

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

---

strongman British  

/ ˈstrɒŋˌmæn /

noun

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

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

---

Etymology

Origin of strongman

First recorded in 1855–60; strong + man

Example Sentences

"He has shaped the image of the first populist president, the first acclaimed strongman of the 21st Century."

From BBC • May 30, 2026

There are sufficient numbers of otherwise normal people who are attracted to the pathocrats because of their charisma and strongman appeal — enough to lift them to power.

From Salon • May 28, 2026

For more than a year, student-led protests have swept across Serbia, with some rallies drawing crowds unseen since demonstrations toppled strongman Slobodan Milosevic in 2000.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

“The fundamentals are still there, and some strongman will rise to the top as they always do,” Levin said.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

Others pulled him off and held him, though he was a strongman.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• autocrat
• despot
• tyrant