Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Strong

Strong

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Stronger
;
sup
erl.
Strongest
.]
[AS.
strang
,
strong
; akin to D. & G.
streng
strict, rigorous, OHG.
strengi
strong, brave, harsh, Icel.
strangr
strong, severe, Dan.
streng
, Sw.
sträng
strict, severe. Cf.
Strength
,
Stretch
,
String
.]
1.
Having active physical power, or great physical power to act; having a power of exerting great bodily force; vigorous.
That our oxen may be
strong
to labor.
Ps. cxliv. 14.
Orses the
strong
to greater strength must yield.
Dryden.
2.
Having passive physical power; having ability to bear or endure; firm; hale; sound; robust;
as, a
strong
constitution;
strong
health.
3.
Solid; tough; not easily broken or injured; able to withstand violence; able to sustain attacks; not easily subdued or taken;
as, a
strong
beam; a
strong
rock; a
strong
fortress or town.
4.
Having great military or naval force; powerful;
as, a
strong
army or fleet; a nation
strong
at sea.
5.
Having great wealth, means, or resources;
as, a
strong
house, or company of merchants
.
6.
Reaching a certain degree or limit in respect to strength or numbers;
as, an army ten thousand
strong
.
7.
Moving with rapidity or force; violent; forcible; impetuous;
as, a
strong
current of water or wind; the wind was
strong
from the northeast; a
strong
tide.
8.
Adapted to make a deep or effectual impression on the mind or imagination; striking or superior of the kind; powerful; forcible; cogent;
as, a
strong
argument;
strong
reasons;
strong
evidence; a
strong
example;
strong
language.
9.
Ardent; eager; zealous; earnestly engaged;
as, a
strong
partisan; a
strong
Whig or Tory.
Her mother, ever
strong
against that match.
Shakespeare
10.
Having virtues of great efficacy; or, having a particular quality in a great degree;
as, a
strong
powder or tincture; a
strong
decoction;
strong
tea or coffee.
11.
Full of spirit; containing a large proportion of alcohol; intoxicating;
as,
strong
liquors
.
12.
Affecting any sense powerfully;
as,
strong
light, colors, etc.; a
strong
flavor of onions; a
strong
scent.
13.
Solid; nourishing;
as,
strong
meat
.
Heb. v. 12.
14.
Well established; firm; not easily overthrown or altered;
as, a
strong
custom; a
strong
belief.
15.
Violent; vehement; earnest; ardent.
He had offered up prayers and supplications with
strong
crying and tears.
Heb. v. 7.
16.
Having great force, vigor, power, or the like, as the mind, intellect, or any faculty;
as, a man of a
strong
mind, memory, judgment, or imagination
.
I was
stronger
in prophecy than in criticism.
Dryden.
17.
Vigorous; effective; forcible; powerful.
Like her sweet voice is thy harmonious song,
As high, as sweet, as easy, and as
strong
.
E. Smith.
18.
(Stock Exchange)
Tending to higher prices; rising;
as, a
strong
market
.
19.
(Gram.)
(a)
Pertaining to, or designating, a verb which forms its preterit (imperfect) by a variation in the root vowel, and the past participle (usually) by the addition of -en (with or without a change of the root vowel); as in the verbs strive, strove, striven; break, broke, broken; drink, drank, drunk. Opposed to weak, or regular. See
Weak
.
(b)
Applied to forms in Anglo-Saxon, etc., which retain the old declensional endings. In the Teutonic languages the vowel stems have held the original endings most firmly, and are called strong; the stems in -n are called weak other constant stems conform, or are irregular.
F. A. March.
Strong conjugation
(Gram.)
,
the conjugation of a strong verb; – called also
old conjugation
, or
irregular conjugation
, and distinguished from the
weak conjugation
or
regular conjugation
.
☞ Strong is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, strong-backed, strong-based, strong-bodied, strong-colored, strong-fisted, strong-handed, strong-ribbed, strong-smelling, strong-voiced, etc.
Syn. – Vigorous; powerful; stout; solid; firm; hardy; muscular; forcible; cogent; valid. See
Robust
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Strong

STRONG

,
Adj.
[G., L. The sense of the radical word is to stretch, strain, draw, and probably from the root of stretch and reach.]
1.
Having physical active power, or great physical power; having the power of exerting great bodily force; vigorous. A patient is recovering from sickness, but is not yet strong enough to walk. A strong man will lift twice his own weight.
That our oxen may be strong to labor. Psalm 144.
Orses the strong to greater strength must yield.
2.
Having physical passive power; having ability to bear or endure; firm; solid; as a constitution strong enough to bear the fatigues of a campaign.
3.
Well fortified; able to sustain attacks; not easily subdued or taken; as a strong fortress or town.
4.
Having great military or naval force; powerful; as a strong army or fleet; a strong nation; a nation strong at sea.
5.
Having great wealth, means or resources; as a strong house or company of merchants.
6.
Moving with rapidity; violent; forcible; impetuous; as a strong current of water or wind; the wind was strong from the northeast; we had a strong tide against us.
7.
Hale; sound; robust; as a strong constitution.
8.
Powerful; forcible; cogent; adapted to make a deep or effectual impression on the mind or imagination; as a strong argument; strong reasons; strong evidence; a strong example or instance. He used strong language.
9.
Ardent; eager; zealous; earnestly engaged; as a strong partisan; a strong whig or tory.
Her mother, ever strong against that match--
10.
Having virtues of great efficacy; or having a particular quality in a great degree; as a strong powder or tincture; a strong decoction; strong tea; strong coffee.
11.
Full of spirit; intoxicating; as strong liquors.
12.
Affecting the sight forcibly; as strong colors.
13.
Affecting the taste forcibly; as the strong flavor of onions.
14.
Affecting the smell powerfully; as a strong scent.
15.
Not of easy digestion; solid; as strong meat. Hebrews 5.
16.
Well established; firm; not easily overthrown or altered; as a custom grown strong by time.
17.
Violent; vehement; earnest.
Who in the day of his flesh, when he offered up prayers with strong crying and tears-- Hebrews 5.
18.
Able; furnished with abilities.
I was stronger in prophecy than in criticism.
19.
Having great force of mind, of intellect or of any faculty; as a man of strong powers of mind; a man of a strong mind or intellect; a man of strong memory, judgment or imagination.
20.
Having great force; comprising much in few words.
Like her sweet voice is thy harmonious song, as high, as sweet, as easy and as strong.
21.
Bright; glaring; vivid; as a strong light.
22.
Powerful to the extent of force named; as an army ten thousand strong.

Definition 2024

Strong

Strong

See also: strong

English

Proper noun

Strong

  1. A surname​.

strong

strong

See also: Strong

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

strong ‎(comparative stronger, superlative strongest)

  1. Capable of producing great physical force.
    a big strong man; Jake was tall and strong‎
  2. Capable of withstanding great physical force.
    a strong foundation; good strong shoes‎
  3. fast moving water, wind, etc, which has a lot of power.
    The man was nearly drowned after a strong undercurrent swept him out to sea.‎
  4. Determined; unyielding.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 10, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.
    He is strong in the face of adversity.‎
  5. Highly stimulating to the senses.
    a strong light; a strong taste‎
  6. Having an offensive or intense odor or flavor.
    a strong smell‎
  7. Having a high concentration of an essential or active ingredient.
    a strong cup of coffee; a strong medicine‎
  8. (specifically) Having a high alcoholic content.
    a strong drink‎
    She gets up, and pours herself a strong one. - Eagles, Lying Eyes
  9. (grammar) Inflecting in a different manner than the one called weak, such as Germanic verbs which change vowels.
    a strong verb‎
  10. (chemistry) That completely ionizes into anions and cations in a solution.
    a strong acid;  a strong base‎
  11. (military) Not easily subdued or taken.
    a strong position‎
  12. (slang, US) Impressive, good.
    You're working with troubled youth in your off time? That’s strong!‎
  13. Having a specified number of people or units.
    The enemy's army force was five thousand strong.‎
  14. (of a disease or symptom) severe (very bad or intense)
    • 2005, Andrew Gaeddert, Healing Immune Disorders: Natural Defense-Building Solutions, North Atlantic Books, page 221:
      Physicians may diagnosis influenza by a throat culture or blood test, which may be important if you have a particularly strong flu, if your doctor suspects pneumonia or a bacterial infection.
  15. (mathematics, logic) Having a wide range of logical consequences; widely applicable. (Often contrasted with a weak statement which it implies.)
  16. Convincing.

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • (capable of producing great physical force): forceless, weak
  • (capable of withstanding great physical force): fragile
  • (having a high concentration of an essential or active ingredient): diluted, impotent, weak
  • (grammar: irregular): regular, weak
  • (chemistry: that completely ionizes): weak
  • (military: not easily subdued or taken): weak

Translations

having a high alcoholic content

See also

Adverb

strong ‎(not comparable)

  1. In a strong manner.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translations

See also

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: met · boy · c. · #397: strong · dead · bring · returned

Middle English

Etymology

From Old English strang.

Adjective

strong

  1. strong

Antonyms

Descendants

Swedish

Etymology

Through Swedish slang, based on English strong, since 1922. There is also a form strång with a different sense since 1640.

Adjective

strong (comparative strongare, superlative strongast)

  1. mentally and morally strong, courageous

Declension

Inflection of strong
Indefinite/attributive Positive Comparative Superlative2
Common singular strong strongare strongast
Neuter singular strongt strongare strongast
Plural stronga strongare strongast
Definite Positive Comparative Superlative
Masculine singular1 stronge strongare strongaste
All stronga strongare strongaste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.
2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in an attributive role.

Related terms

  • strongt

References

Tok Pisin

Etymology

English strong

Adjective

strong

  1. Capable of producing great physical force; strong.
  2. Capable of withstanding great physical force; strong.
  3. Determined, unyielding.

See also

Noun

strong

  1. Strength
    • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Genesis 1:22 (translation here):
      Na God i mekim gutpela tok bilong givim strong long ol. Em i tokim ol olsem, “Yupela ol kain kain samting bilong solwara, yupela i mas kamap planti na pulapim olgeta hap bilong solwara. Na yupela ol pisin, yupela i mas kamap planti long graun.”
This entry has fewer than three known examples of actual usage, the minimum considered necessary for clear attestation, and may not be reliable. Tok Pisin is subject to a special exemption for languages with limited documentation. If you speak it, please consider editing this entry or adding citations. See also Help and the Community Portal.

Etymology

From Middle English strong, strang, from Old English strong, strang ‎(“strong, powerful, mighty, able; firm, constant, resolute, strenuous, hardy; hard, severe, fierce, stern, strict; bold, brave; valid, assured; effective, producing a great effect, potent; earnest; arduous, violent”), from Proto-Germanic *strangaz ‎(“tight, strict, straight, strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *streng-, *strenk- ‎(“taut, stiff, tight”). Cognate with Scots strang ‎(“strong”), Saterland Frisian strang, West Frisian string ‎(“austere, strict, harsh, severe, stern, stark, tough”), Dutch streng ‎(“strict, severe, tight”), German streng ‎(“strict, severe, austere”), Swedish sträng, strang ‎(“severe, strict, harsh”), Norwegian strang ‎(“strong, harsh, bitter”), Icelandic strangur ‎(“strict”), Latin stringō ‎(“tighten”).

Pronunciation

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