(~er, ~est)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
Someone who is ~ is healthy with good muscles and can move or carry heavy things, or do hard physical work.
I’m not ~ enough to carry him...
I feared I wouldn’t be able to control such a ~ horse.
? weak
ADJ
2.
Someone who is ~ is confident and determined, and is not easily influenced or worried by other people.
He is sharp and manipulative with a ~ personality...
It’s up to managers to be ~ and do what they believe is right...
? weak
ADJ
3.
Strong objects or materials are not easily broken and can support a lot of weight or resist a lot of strain.
The vacuum flask has a ~ casing, which won’t crack or chip...
Glue the mirror in with a ~ adhesive...
? weak
ADJ
~ly
The fence was very ~ly built, with very large posts.
ADV: ADV -ed
4.
A ~ wind, current, or other force has a lot of power or speed, and can cause heavy things to move.
Strong winds and torrential rain combined to make conditions terrible for golfers in the Scottish Open...
A fairly ~ current seemed to be moving the whole boat...
= powerful
ADJ
~ly
The metal is ~ly attracted to the surface.
ADV: ADV with v
5.
A ~ impression or influence has a great effect on someone.
We’re glad if our music makes a ~ impression, even if it’s a negative one...
Teenage idols have a ~ influence on our children...
ADJ
~ly
He is ~ly influenced by Spanish painters such as Goya and El Greco...
ADV: ADV with v
6.
If you have ~ opinions on something or express them using ~ words, you have extreme or very definite opinions which you are willing to express or defend.
She is known to hold ~ views on Cuba...
There has been ~ criticism of the military regime...
It condemned in extremely ~ language what it called Britain’s iniquitous campaign...
ADJ: usu ADJ n
~ly
Obviously you feel very ~ly about this...
We are ~ly opposed to the presence of America in this region...
ADV: usu ADV with v
7.
If someone in authority takes ~ action, they act firmly and severely.
The government has said it will take ~ action against any further strikes...
ADJ: usu ADJ n
8.
If there is a ~ case or argument for something, it is supported by a lot of evidence.
The testimony presented offered a ~ case for acquitting her on grounds of self-defense...
The evidence that such investment promotes growth is ~...
ADJ
~ly
He argues ~ly for retention of NATO as a guarantee of peace...
These are conditions said by doctors to be ~ly indicative of heart failure.
ADV: ADV with v, ADV adj/adv
9.
If there is a ~ possibility or chance that something is true or will happen, it is very likely to be true or to happen.
There is a ~ possibility that the cat contracted the condition by eating contaminated pet food.
ADJ
10.
Your ~ points are your best qualities or talents, or the things you are good at.
Discretion is not Jeremy’s ~ point...
Cynics argue that the EU is ~er on rhetoric than on concrete action.
ADJ: ADJ n, v-link ADJ on n
11.
A ~ competitor, candidate, or team is good or likely to succeed.
She was a ~ contender for Britain’s Olympic team...
ADJ: usu ADJ n
12.
If a relationship or link is ~, it is close and likely to last for a long time.
He felt he had a relationship ~ enough to talk frankly to Sarah...
Delhi first began to develop ~ ties with Moscow in the 1950s.
ADJ
13.
A ~ currency, economy, or industry has a high value or is very successful.
The US dollar continued its ~ performance in Tokyo today...
The local economy is ~ and the population is growing...
= robust
? weak
ADJ
14.
If something is a ~ element or part of something else, it is an important or large part of it.
We are especially encouraged by the ~ representation, this year, of women in information technology disciplines...
ADJ
15.
You can use ~ when you are saying how many people there are in a group. For example, if a group is twenty ~, there are twenty people in it.
Ukraine indicated that it would establish its own army, 400,000 ~.
...a 1,000-~ crowd.
ADJ: num ADJ
16.
A ~ drink, chemical, or drug contains a lot of the particular substance which makes it effective.
Strong coffee or tea late at night may cause sleeplessness...
ADJ
17.
A ~ colour, flavour, smell, sound, or light is intense and easily noticed.
As she went past there was a gust of ~ perfume...
The wine goes with ~ and mild cheese alike.
ADJ
~ly
He leaned over her, smelling ~ly of sweat...
ADV: ADV with v
18.
If someone has a ~ accent, they speak in a distinctive way that shows very clearly what country or region they come from.
‘Good, Mr Ryle,’ he said in English with a ~ French accent.
= pronounced
? slight
ADJ
19.
You can say that someone has ~ features or a ~ face if their face has large, distinctive features.
He had a ~ Greek nose and olive-black eyes.
ADJ
20.
If someone or something is still going ~, they are still alive, in good condition, or popular after a long time. (INFORMAL)
The old machinery was still going ~.
PHRASE: v-link PHR