strong

1 of 2

adjective

ˈstrȯŋ 

stronger ˈstrȯŋ-gər 

 also  -ər

; strongest ˈstrȯŋ-gəst 

 also  -əst

1

a

: having or marked by great physical power

a big strong kid

an athlete with strong muscles

b

: not sick or injured

He'll return to work when he's feeling a little stronger.

2

a

: having moral, emotional, or intellectual power or ability

a person of strong character/personality

I'm not strong enough to handle this on my own.

remained strong throughout her illness

b

: having social power or influence

a strong leader/government

3

: having great resources (as of wealth or talent)

4

a

: of a specified number

an army ten thousand strong

b

: great in number

a strong turnout for the election

5

a

: striking or superior of its kind

a strong resemblance

a strong accent

b

: effective or efficient especially in a specified direction

… strong on watching other people work …

—A. Alvarez

c

: likely to succeed or happen

a strong candidate/contender

a strong chance/possibility

6

a

: forceful, cogent

strong evidence

strong talk

made a strong argument

b

: very forceful and sometimes obscene or offensive

The movie contains strong language.

7

: not mild or weak : extreme, intense

a strong desire/urge

: such as

a

: rich in some active agent

strong beer

b

of a color : high in chroma

c

: ionizing freely in solution

strong acids and bases

d

: magnifying by refracting greatly

a strong lens

8

obsolete : flagrant

9

: moving with rapidity or force

a strong wind

10

: ardent, zealous

a strong supporter

a strong liking/hatred

11

a

: not easily injured or disturbed : solid

strong walls

b

: not easily subdued or taken

a strong fort

12

: well established : firm

strong beliefs/convictions

strong tradition

strong friendships

13

: not easily upset or nauseated

a strong stomach

14

a

: very powerful in action or effect

a strong detergent

b

: having an intense and sometimes offensive odor or flavor : rank

strong breath

strong cheese

15

: tending toward steady or higher prices

a strong market

16

a

: of, relating to, or being a verb that is inflected by a change in the root vowel (such as strive, strove, striven) rather than by regular affixation

b

of a noun or adjective declension in Germanic languages : retaining a greater number of distinctions in case, number and gender

strongish

ˈstrȯŋ-ish 

adjective

strong

2 of 2

adverb

: in a strong or forceful manner

The wind was blowing strong from the West.

The company is still going strong [=continuing successfully, flourishing] despite new challenges.

Synonyms of strong

Adjective

• muscular
• powerful
• mighty
• rugged
• stout

Choose the Right Synonym for strong

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

Examples of strong in a Sentence

Adjective

an athlete with strong muscles

He's as strong as an ox.

The table should be strong enough to survive the trip.

The builder added supports to make the walls stronger.

He'll return to work when he's feeling a little stronger.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Smith said Thursday in a news release that Stubblefield leaves behind a legacy of strong, principled leadership. —Ella McCarthy, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2025

More than 46 million Americans are facing strong winds on Friday, with wind advisories in place across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

Adverb

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. —Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English strang; akin to Old High German strengi strong, Latin stringere to bind tight — more at strain

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing strong

• a bit strong
• come on strong
• going strong
• go strong
• strong anthropic principle
• strong-arm
• strong breeze
• strong drink
• strong force
• strong gale
• strong language
• strong-minded
• strong on
• strong room
• strong safety
• strong side
• strong, silent types
• strong stomach
• strong suit
• strong-willed

Rhymes for strong

• bhang
• bong
• dong
• gong
• hmong
• jong
• mong
• pong
• prong
• rong
• song
• thong

Kids Definition

strong

adjective

ˈstrȯŋ 

stronger

ˈstrȯŋ-gər

; strongest

ˈstrȯŋ-gəst

1

: having or marked by great physical power : robust

2

: having moral or mental power

3

: having great resources (as of wealth)

4

: of a specified number

an army ten thousand strong

5

: being great or striking

a strong resemblance

6

: forceful, cogent

strong arguments

7

: not mild or weak : having much of some quality

strong coffee

strong acid

strong glasses

8

: moving with rapidity or force

strong wind

9

: enthusiastic, zealous

a strong believer in peace

10

: not easily captured or overcome

a strong fort

11

: well established : firm

strong traditions

12

: having a disgusting or powerful odor or flavor : rank

13

: of, relating to, or being a verb that forms the past tense by a change in the root vowel and the past participle usually by the addition of -en with or without change of the root vowel (as strive, strove, striven or drink, drank, drunk)

strong adverb

strongly

ˈstrȯŋ-lē 

adverb