/ streŋθ; NAmE / noun
BEING PHYSICALLY STRONG
1.
[ U , sing. ] strength to do sth the quality of being physically strong :
He pushed against the rock with all his strength.
It may take a few weeks for you to build up your strength again.
She didn't have the strength to walk any further.
He had a physical strength that matched his outward appearance.
2.
[ U ] the ability that sth has to resist force or hold heavy weights without breaking or being damaged :
the strength of a rope
—see also industrial-strength
BEING BRAVE
3.
[ U , sing. ] the quality of being brave and determined in a difficult situation :
During this ordeal he was able to draw strength from his faith.
She has a remarkable inner strength .
You have shown great strength of character .
POWER / INFLUENCE
4.
[ U ] the power and influence that sb/sth has :
Political power depends upon economic strength.
Their superior military strength gives them a huge advantage.
to negotiate from a position of strength
The rally was intended to be a show of strength by the socialists.
OF OPINION / FEELING
5.
[ U ] how strong or deeply felt an opinion or a feeling is :
the strength of public opinion
This view has recently gathered strength (= become stronger or more widely held) .
I was surprised by the strength of her feelings.
ADVANTAGE
6.
[ C ] a quality or an ability that a person or thing has that gives them an advantage :
The ability to keep calm is one of her many strengths.
the strengths and weaknesses of an argument
OF NATURAL FORCE
7.
[ U ] how strong a natural force is :
the strength of the sun
wind strength
the strength and direction of the tide
OF FLAVOUR
8.
[ U , C ] how strong a particular flavour or substance is :
Add more curry powder depending on the strength required.
a range of beers with different strengths (= with different amounts of alcohol in them)
OF CURRENCY
9.
[ U ] how strong a country's currency (= unit of money) is in relation to other countries' currencies :
the strength of the dollar
NUMBER IN GROUP
10.
[ U ] the number of people in a group, a team or an organization :
The strength of the workforce is about to be doubled from 3 000 to 6 000.
The team will be back at full strength (= with all the best players) for the next match.
The protesters turned out in strength (= in large numbers) .
These cuts have left the local police force under strength (= with fewer members than it needs) .
•
IDIOMS
- go from strength to strength
- on the strength of sth
—more at tower noun
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English strengthu , from the Germanic base of strong .