strong

Formsstronger, strongest

1. 1
   muscle poweradjective

   Able to exert or produce great physical force, as with the muscles.

   Years of farm work had made her remarkably strong.

   Gorillas are strong enough to bend thick iron bars.

   UsageStrong enough to + verb: strong enough to lift it (not incorrect: enough strong).

   Similarpowerful

   Oppositeweak

   Note

   Force that pushes outward, from muscle or from nature: a big strong man, but also a strong undercurrent that sweeps a swimmer out to sea, or a river current deep and strong enough to drive mills. Book V of Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene (1596) has "strong as Lyon in his lordly might." Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • Edmund Spenser wrote The Faerie Queene. en.wikisource.org
   • The work first appeared in 1590. Books IV–VI, including the quoted passage in Book V, first appeared in 1596; specify Book V to retain that date. en.wikisource.org
   • The quoted words occur in The Faerie Queene. talus.artsci.wustl.edu
2. 2
   intenseadjective

   Severe or very intense, as a feeling, reaction, or condition.

   The proposal met strong opposition from local residents.

   A strong sense of guilt kept him awake all night.

   UsageCommon with feelings and reactions: strong opposition, a strong sense of guilt, strong feelings about something.

   Similarintense, fierce, powerful, vehement, deep

   Oppositemild, weak, slight, faint

3. 3
   very goodadjective

   Impressive or very good.

   Her debut album is strong from the first track to the last.

   She is a strong candidate for the manager's job.

   UsageOften with in for the field: strong in math. The bare That's strong! belongs to casual speech.

   Similarimpressive, great, excellent, solid, superb

   Oppositeweak, poor, lame, mediocre

   Note

   Praise for quality or performance: a strong candidate, a strong showing, strong sales.

4. 4
   hard to breakadjective

   Able to withstand great physical force without breaking or giving way.

   Engineers chose a strong alloy that resists bending under load.

   The engineers built the bridge strong enough to carry heavy trucks for decades without cracking.

   Similartough, sturdy, durable

   Oppositefragile

   Note

   Here the word sits closest to its roots. Old English strang goes back to a Germanic word for "tight, strict, straight" and an Indo-European root meaning "taut, stiff, tight", which describes something that holds rather than something that pushes. Strong shoes and a strong foundation resist force. Nietzsche's maxim that what does not kill me makes me stronger carries this sense over to the spirit. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

   • Strong derives from Old English strang. en.wiktionary.org
   • The Germanic ancestor meant tight, strict, straight. en.wiktionary.org
   • The Indo-European root is glossed as taut, stiff, tight. en.wiktionary.org
   • Nietzsche wrote the maxim paraphrased here as what does not kill me makes me stronger. gutenberg.org
5. 5
   adjective

   Having great power or might and so hard to defeat or overcome, as a nation, army, team or defended position.

   The empire remained strong for centuries despite repeated invasions.

   A strong central government emerged from the long negotiations.

   Similarpowerful, mighty, formidable, potent

   Oppositeweak, feeble, powerless, vulnerable

6. 6
   firm willadjective

   Determined and unyielding; not easily moved or discouraged.

   Her strong resolve carried the team through the crisis.

   They remained strong in their beliefs despite intense pressure.

   UsageOften in stay strong or strong in your beliefs.

   Similarzealous, ardent

   Oppositeweak, irresolute, wavering

7. 7
   adjective

   Of a tie or connection between people or groups, close and well rooted, so that it is hard to break.

   Years of working side by side built a strong friendship between the two partners.

   Trade links between the neighboring countries have grown stronger over the past decade.

   UsageCommon with friendship, ties and links: a strong bond between two people.

   Similarclose, solid, firm, deep

   Oppositeweak, fragile

8. 8
   convincingadjective

   Convincing; well supported by evidence or sound reasoning.

   Prosecutors presented a strong argument backed by physical evidence.

   There is strong evidence that the climate is warming.

   UsageCommon with argument, case and evidence: strong evidence that something is true.

   Similarconvincing, compelling, persuasive, cogent, solid

   Oppositeweak, flimsy, unconvincing, tenuous

9. 9
   adjective

   Of a smell, taste, or color: very noticeable and intense, sometimes unpleasantly so.

   The blue cheese gave off a strong, pungent odor the moment the lid came off.

   The strong smell of fresh garlic filled the kitchen and drifted all the way down the hall.

   UsageSay a strong smell of garlic, a strong taste.

   Similarintense, powerful

   Oppositefaint, mild, weak, subtle

10. 10
    adjective

    Containing a lot of the main or active ingredient, such as alcohol, caffeine, or a chemical.

    The pharmacist mixed a strong solution of the disinfectant.

    This tea is strong enough to stain the inside of the cup.

    UsageUsed for drinks and mixtures: strong tea (not incorrect: powerful tea), strong coffee. Weak is the opposite.

    Similarconcentrated, potent

    Oppositeweak, diluted, watery, mild

11. 11
    adverb

    In a forceful, vigorous, or powerful manner.

    Sales started strong but tapered off by the end of the quarter.

    At ninety, she is still going strong every single day.

    UsageFollows the verb in set phrases, with no -ly: still going strong, come on strong, start strong.

    Similarwell, vigorously, powerfully, forcefully

    Oppositeweakly, poorly, feebly

    Note

    Coming on strong means pressing hard, the way a salesperson might push a customer. Still going strong means carrying on with undiminished vigor.

12. 12
    adjective

    Standing out clearly and unmistakably, said of things such as an accent, a likeness, a facial feature or a theme.

    She bears a strong resemblance to her grandmother at the same age.

    Themes of loss and memory are stronger in her second novel than in her first.

    UsageCommon in a strong resemblance to someone, a strong accent.

    Similarstriking, marked, pronounced, distinct

    Oppositefaint, slight, weak

13. 13
    in numberadjective

    Having the particular total number of people or units named by the preceding figure.

    The volunteer force arrived five hundred strong, ready for the cleanup.

    By late afternoon, the protesters outside city hall were five thousand strong and still growing.

    UsageFollows the number: an army forty thousand strong.

    Note

    Christopher Marlowe's Tamburlaine the Great, first published in 1590, already counts an army "forty thousand strong." The construction gives the size of a body of people or units and cannot stand without the figure. Source

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

    • Christopher Marlowe wrote Tamburlaine the Great. en.wikipedia.org
14. 14
    wealthyadjective

    Having considerable wealth or resources.

    Investors prefer a financially strong firm with deep reserves and little debt.

    Three good harvests left the farm co-op strong enough to buy new tractors with cash.

    UsageOften in financially strong.

    Similarwealthy, rich, sound, prosperous, solvent

    Oppositeweak, poor, insolvent

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