strong S1 W1 /strɒŋ $ strɒːŋ/ BrE AmE 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)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 5 & 6)
■ nouns
▪ 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.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ having a strong body
▪ 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.
■ not easily broken or damaged
▪ 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.