strong
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- powerful, athletic, brawny, burly, hardy, lusty, muscular, robust, strapping, sturdy, tough
- durable, hard-wearing, heavy-duty, sturdy, substantial, well-built
- persuasive, compelling, convincing, effective, potent, sound, telling, weighty, well-founded
- intense, acute, deep, fervent, fervid, fierce, firm, keen, vehement, violent, zealous
- extreme, drastic, forceful, severe
- bright, bold, brilliant, dazzling

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Antonyms: weak
Contrasted words: feeble, frail, puny, weak-bodied, forceless, impotent, powerless, strengthless, depleted, failing, diluted, mixed, watered-down
Related Idioms: strong as a bull (or ox)
Related Words: firm, robust, stark, strapping, sturdy, two-handed, able-bodied, tough, brawny, muscular, sinewy, lusty, vigorous, hardy, rugged, solid, staunch, durable, enduring, forceful, potent, powerful, strong-flavored, strong-tasting, straight, undiluted, unmixed, rich, heroic, large, substantial, unmoving, unyielding

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English Thesaurus: bright, strong, brilliant, dazzling, blinding, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

strong S1 W1 /strɒŋ $ strɒːŋ/ adjective (comparative stronger, superlative strongest)
[Word Family: verb: strengthen; noun: strength; adverb: strongly; adjective: strong]
[Language: Old English; Origin: strang]

1. ABLE TO LIFT HEAVY THINGS/DO HARD WORK having a lot of physical power so that you can lift heavy things, do hard physical work etc:
He was a big strong man.
Jack was tall and strong.
strong hands/arms/muscles etc
He picked her up in his big strong arms.
I’m not strong enough to fight him. ⇒ see Thesaurus box on P. 1752

2. NOT EASILY BROKEN OR DAMAGED not easily broken or damaged:
good strong shoes
The locks on the doors were solid and strong.

3. ABLE TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULTY determined and able to deal with a difficult or upsetting situation:
I’m not strong enough to take insults and hatred.
Laura had a strong character.

4. POWERFUL having a lot of power or influence:
The Fifth French Republic was established with a strong president in 1958.
a strong national army
Our party is the strongest as we come up to the election.

5. FEELINGS/OPINIONS strong emotions, opinions, beliefs etc are ones that you feel or believe a lot and are very serious about:
He had a strong sense of responsibility to his vocation of preaching.
There has been strong support for the strike.
The proposal has met with strong opposition from local people.
strong feelings/views/opinions
Many people have strong feelings about the issue.

6. AFFECT/INFLUENCE a strong desire, influence etc affects you very much:
He had a strong desire for power.
Such feelings may have a strong influence over your decisions.
The temptation is very strong.

7. RELATIONSHIP a strong relationship, friendship etc is very loyal and likely to last a long time:
He maintained strong links with the world of the deaf.
She still has a strong relationship with her mother.
I have a strong commitment to the quality of teaching.

8. ARGUMENT/REASON ETC likely to persuade other people that something is true or the correct thing to do:
There is a strong case for an energy conservation programme.
They need strong evidence to secure a conviction.
a strong argument

9. LIKELY likely to succeed or happen:
She’s a strong candidate for the party leadership.
strong possibility/chance/probability
A year ago, there was a strong possibility that he wouldn’t live.

10. HEALTHY healthy, especially after you have been ill:
I don’t think her heart is very strong.
You’ve been blessed with a strong constitution (=you are healthy and do not easily become ill).

11. be in a strong position (also gain a strong position) to be in a situation where you have power over other people or are likely to get what you want:
The company have gained a strong position in the cheese market.

12. strong wind/current/tide wind, water etc that moves with great force:
A strong wind was blowing across the lake.

13. GOOD AT SOMETHING very good at something:
His writing was strong on description.
We beat a team that was much stronger than ourselves.
be sb’s strong point/suit (=the thing that someone is especially good at)
Tact never was my strong point.

14. TASTE/SMELL having a taste or smell that you notice easily:
strong coffee
This cheese has a very strong flavour.
a strong smell of petrol

15. ALCOHOL/DRUGS ETC having a lot of a substance, such as alcohol, that gives something its effect:
extra strong beer
strong painkillers
I haven’t touched strong drink (=alcoholic drinks) for years.

16. LIGHT/COLOUR bright and easy to see:
The light was not very strong.

17. strong language speech or writing that contains a lot of swearing:
This film is not suitable for children under 12 as it contains strong language.

18. strong accent the way that someone pronounces words that shows clearly that they come from a particular area or country:
a strong German accent

19. strong nose/chin/features a nose etc that is large and noticeable, especially in an attractive way:
She has the same strong features as her mother.

20. MONEY a strong currency (=the type of money used in a country) does not easily lose its value compared with other currencies

21. 600/10,000 etc strong [only after number] used to give the number of people in a crowd or organization:
the company’s 2,200 strong workforce
The crowd was 10,000 strong.

22. be going strong to continue to be active or successful, even after a long time:
He celebrated his ninetieth birthday this month, and he’s still going strong.
⇒ come on strong at come on(10)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

strong
adj.
I. physically powerful
VERBS be, feel, look | become, grow | make sb All that outdoor work has made him very strong.
ADV. extremely, immensely, really, very | pretty, quite | enough Don't try to go back to work before you are physically strong enough.
physically

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

strong
II. not easily damaged
VERBS be, look
ADV. extremely, really, very | fairly, pretty, quite | enough The box looks strong enough.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

strong
III. powerful
VERBS be, look, prove, seem, smell, taste | become, get, grow | remain | make sth | keep sth This news helped keep the dollar relatively strong today.
ADV. extremely, immensely, particularly, really, very He exerts an extremely strong influence on his classmates.
fairly, pretty, quite, rather | enough The party lacks a strong enough local base.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

strong

strong views/opinions/ideas
She has strong views on education.
a strong feeling
I have a lot of strong feelings on the issue.
a strong belief
We have a strong belief that everyone has the right to worship freely.
a strong sense of something
There is a strong sense of community here.
strong support
The idea won strong support in rural areas.
strong opposition
There had been strong opposition to the scheme from the national park authority.
a strong interest in something
At 16, he developed a strong interest in archaeology.
a strong commitment to something
Since its establishment in 1945 the College has had a strong commitment to research.
a strong desire for something/to do something
People have a strong desire for personal independence.
a strong influence
The experience of living there had a strong influence on me.
a strong impression
She made a strong impression on me.
a strong temptation
There’s always a strong temptation to put off doing difficult tasks.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

strong
adjective
See note at PUNISHMENT (punishment)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

bright shining strongly:
The sunshine was very bright.
the bright light of the torch
strong very bright:
Photographs fade if they are exposed to strong sunlight.
brilliant extremely bright, especially in a way that seems good:
The garden was full of brilliant autumn sunshine.
dazzling a dazzling light is so bright that it hurts your eyes and you cannot look at it:
dazzling headlights
the dazzling reflection from the mirror
blinding a blinding light is very bright and makes you unable to see for a short time after you have looked at it:
There was a sudden blinding light, followed by the sound of a huge explosion.
harsh a harsh light is bright and unpleasant:
In the harsh light of the kitchen, she looked older than she was.
good if the light is good in a place where you are working, it is bright enough for you to see what you are doing:
The light wasn’t good enough to read.
light bright because there are big windows:
The dining room was light and airy.
well-lit bright because there are plenty of electric lights:
Try to park in a well-lit place.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

powerful a powerful person, organization, group etc is able to control and influence events and other people’s actions:
the world’s most powerful nation
Parliament had become more powerful than the King.
a powerful political family
influential having a lot of power to influence what happens, because people pay attention to what you say:
a highly influential fashion designer
He’s one of the most influential figures in international politics.
strong powerful – used about people or groups in politics who have a lot of supporters:
The communists were particularly strong in the big industrial cities.
He is a strong voice in the state assembly.
dominant more powerful than other people, groups, countries etc:
She was the dominant force in women’s tennis for many years.
The company has a dominant position in the market.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

present [only before noun] happening or existing now:
The present situation could get much worse.
the present century
There are no plans to build more houses here at the present time.
current [only before noun] present – used especially about something that is not expected to stay the same for long:
current trends in fashion
the current state of the UK economy
existing [only before noun] formal existing or being used now – used about things or situations that you think may be changed in the future:
The existing offices are too small.
The proposal will strengthen existing immigration laws.
contemporary [only before noun] used about the art, writing, ideas, society etc that belong to the present time:
the impact of computer-generated imagery on contemporary art and design
contemporary music in Russia
today’s/of today used about conditions and attitudes that exist now, when you are comparing them with those that existed in the past:
People struggle to keep up with the pace of life in today’s world of instant communications.
the liberal ideology of today
an ocean/sea/river current
Ocean currents carry young fish out to sea.
a tidal current (=caused by the movement of the tides)
Tidal currents make the seas around the islands very rough.
strong
On surfing beaches, strong currents are common.
fast/fast-flowing
Fast-flowing currents made the rescue job even harder.
dangerous/treacherous
Beaches usually have signs that warn of dangerous currents.
a current flows
Sea currents flow at up to 12 miles per hour around parts of the coast.
a current carries somebody/something (=makes them move along in the water)
Their boat was moving fast, carried by the current.
a current sweeps somebody/something (=carries them very powerfully, so that they cannot stop moving)
The treacherous currents have swept away three swimmers in the past year.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

strong having a lot of physical strength:
It took four strong men to lift the piano.
You open it – you’re stronger than I am.
powerful very strong – used about someone’s body, arms, muscles etc:
his big powerful shoulders
He was a tall man with a powerful physique.
muscular having big muscles and looking strong:
She liked men who were big and muscular.
He had a firm muscular body.
well-built a well-built man is strong and tall and has a big body:
Police say the man they are looking for is 36 years old, 6 feet tall, and well-built.
hunky informal strong and attractive:
She married hunky Hollywood star Brad Pitt.
He looks hunky, but he’s not really my type.
tough strong – used especially about something that can be used a lot without damaging it or making it weaker:
a pair of tough leather boots
Kitchen floors need to be tough enough to withstand heavy use.
heavy-duty [only before noun] extremely strong – used about materials, tools, machines etc that are made especially to be used a lot without being easily damaged:
heavy-duty rubber gloves
a heavy-duty carpet for the hallway
sturdy strong and often thick, and not likely to fall over or get broken:
a fence made with sturdy wooden posts
The furniture is simple but sturdy.
unbreakable extremely strong and impossible to break:
Babies need to have unbreakable dishes and cups.
indestructible impossible to break, damage, or destroy, and lasting forever:
Gold is virtually indestructible.
The pyramids were built as indestructible tombs for the Pharaohs.
hard-wearing British English, long-wearing American English used about materials and products that will remain in good condition for a long time even when they are used a lot:
Ceramic tiles are easy to keep clean and hard-wearing.
a hard-wearing fabric
durable especially written used about materials and products that will remain in good condition for a long time – often used on product labels:
The jacket has a durable nylon lining.
Varnish is more durable than paint.
robust especially written strongly made – used especially about the structure of something, for example a vehicle or machine:
a mountain bike with a robust frame
The hardware for the computer must be robust and inexpensive.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

strong not easily broken or damaged:
The bags are made of strong black plastic.
We need a strong rope for this job.
tough strong – used especially about something that can be used a lot without damaging it or making it weaker:
a pair of tough leather boots
Kitchen floors need to be tough enough to withstand heavy use.
heavy-duty [only before noun] extremely strong – used about materials, tools, machines etc that are made especially to be used a lot without being easily damaged:
heavy-duty rubber gloves
a heavy-duty carpet for the hallway
sturdy strong and often thick, and not likely to fall over or get broken:
a fence made with sturdy wooden posts
The furniture is simple but sturdy.
unbreakable extremely strong and impossible to break:
Babies need to have unbreakable dishes and cups.
indestructible impossible to break, damage, or destroy, and lasting forever:
Gold is virtually indestructible.
The pyramids were built as indestructible tombs for the Pharaohs.
hard-wearing British English, long-wearing American English used about materials and products that will remain in good condition for a long time even when they are used a lot:
Ceramic tiles are easy to keep clean and hard-wearing.
a hard-wearing fabric
durable especially written used about materials and products that will remain in good condition for a long time – often used on product labels:
The jacket has a durable nylon lining.
Varnish is more durable than paint.
robust especially written strongly made – used especially about the structure of something, for example a vehicle or machine:
a mountain bike with a robust frame
The hardware for the computer must be robust and inexpensive.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲