[strong] adj stron.ger ; stron.gest [ME, fr. OE strang; akin to OHG strengi strong, L stringere to bind tight--more at strain] (bef. 12c) 1: having or marked by great physical power
2: having moral or intellectual power
3: having great resources (as of wealth or talent)
4: of a specified number "an army ten thousand ~"
5. a: striking or superior of its kind "a ~ resemblance" b: effective or efficient esp. in a specified direction "~ on watching other people work --A. Alvarez"
6: forceful, cogent "~ evidence" "~ talk" 7: not mild or weak: extreme, intense: as a: rich in some active agent "~ beer" b of a color: high in chroma c: ionizing freely in solution "~ acids and bases" d: magnifying by refracting greatly "~ lens"
8. obs: flagrant 9: moving with rapidity or force "~ wind" 10: ardent, zealous "a ~ supporter" 11 a: not easily injured or disturbed: solid b: not easily subdued or taken "a ~ fort" 12: well established: firm "~ beliefs" 13: not easily upset or nauseated "a ~ stomach" 14: having an offensive or intense odor or flavor: rank 15: tending to steady or higher prices "a ~ market" 16: of, relating to, or being a verb that is inflected by a change in the root vowel (as strive, strove, striven) rather than by regular affixation -- strong adv -- strong.ish adj -- strong.ly adv syn strong, stout, sturdy, stalwart, tough, tenacious mean showing power to resist or to endure. strong may imply power derived from muscular vigor, large size, structural soundness, intellectual or spiritual resources "strong arms" "the defense has a strong case". stout suggests an ability to endure stress, pain, or hard use without giving way "stout hiking boots". sturdy implies strength derived from vigorous growth, determination of spirit, solidity of construction "a sturdy table" "people of sturdy independence". stalwart suggests an unshakable dependability "stalwart environmentalists". tough implies great firmness and resiliency "a tough political opponent". tenacious suggests strength in seizing, retaining, clinging to, or holding together "tenacious farmers clinging to an age-old way of life".