# strong

Pronunciation: US say "STRAWNG" /stɹɔŋ/; UK say "STRONG" /stɹɒŋ/

## Adjective

1. Able to exert or produce great physical force, as with the muscles.
   - Simple: Having great physical force, like a person who can lift heavy things, or a powerful wind or current.
   - _Years of farm work had made her remarkably strong._
   - _Gorillas are strong enough to bend thick iron bars._
2. Severe or very intense, as a feeling, reaction, or condition.
   - Simple: So great or harsh that it is hard to ignore.
   - _The proposal met strong opposition from local residents._
   - _A strong sense of guilt kept him awake all night._
3. Impressive or very good.
   - Simple: Very good or impressive.
   - _Her debut album is strong from the first track to the last._
   - _She is a strong candidate for the manager's job._
4. Able to withstand great physical force without breaking or giving way.
   - Simple: Hard to break, bend, or damage, even when pushed very hard.
   - _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._
5. Having great power or might and so hard to defeat or overcome, as a nation, army, team or defended position.
   - Simple: Powerful and hard to beat, like a strong army or team.
   - _The empire remained strong for centuries despite repeated invasions._
   - _A strong central government emerged from the long negotiations._
6. Determined and unyielding; not easily moved or discouraged.
   - Simple: Not giving up easily, even when things are hard.
   - _Her strong resolve carried the team through the crisis._
   - _They remained strong in their beliefs despite intense pressure._
7. Of a tie or connection between people or groups, close and well rooted, so that it is hard to break.
   - Simple: Of a friendship or link between people or groups, close and lasting, so it does not break easily.
   - _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._
8. Convincing; well supported by evidence or sound reasoning.
   - Simple: Good enough to make people believe you are right.
   - _Prosecutors presented a strong argument backed by physical evidence._
   - _There is strong evidence that the climate is warming._
9. Of a smell, taste, or color: very noticeable and intense, sometimes unpleasantly so.
   - Simple: Very easy to smell, taste, or see, and very intense.
   - _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._
10. Containing a lot of the main or active ingredient, such as alcohol, caffeine, or a chemical.
   - Simple: Having a lot of the main ingredient, like strong coffee or strong drink.
   - _The pharmacist mixed a strong solution of the disinfectant._
   - _This tea is strong enough to stain the inside of the cup._
12. Standing out clearly and unmistakably, said of things such as an accent, a likeness, a facial feature or a theme.
   - Simple: Very easy to notice, like an accent or the way two people look alike.
   - _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._
13. Having the particular total number of people or units named by the preceding figure.
   - Simple: Having a stated number of people or things in a group.
   - _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._
14. Having considerable wealth or resources.
   - Simple: Having a lot of money or other 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._
15. Inflecting by changing an internal vowel rather than adding an ending, as with certain Germanic verbs.
   - Simple: Changing its inner vowel to make its different forms, like turning 'sing' into 'sang.'
   - _Old English had many strong verbs that marked tense by vowel change rather than by suffixes._
   - _The verb 'give' is strong, shifting to 'gave' instead of taking a dental ending._
16. Of a currency, worth a great deal when traded for other currencies, or gaining in exchange value against them.
   - Simple: Of money, worth a lot compared with the money of other countries, or going up in value.
   - _Exporters complain that the strong euro makes their goods too expensive overseas._
   - _The pound grew stronger against the dollar after the interest rate decision._

## Adverb

11. In a forceful, vigorous, or powerful manner.
   - Simple: In a way that shows great power, force, or energy.
   - _Sales started strong but tapered off by the end of the quarter._
   - _At ninety, she is still going strong every single day._

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Completely splitting into positive and negative ions when dissolved in solution.
- (adjective) Having a wide range of logical consequences, so that it implies weaker statements.

## Origin

From Middle English "strong" (also "strang"), from Old English "strang," going back through Proto-Germanic "*strangaz" (tight, strict, straight, strong) to a Proto-Indo-European root "*strengʰ-" meaning taut, stiff, or tight. It is related to Dutch "streng" and German "streng" (strict, severe) and Latin "stringō" (to tighten).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/strong (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).