- strong
-
adjective
(stronger; strongest)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English strang; akin to Old High German strengi strong, Latin stringere to bind tight — more at strain
Date: before 12th century
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 strong> 5. a. striking or superior of its kind <a strong resemblance> b. effective or efficient especially in a specified direction <strong on watching other people work — A. Alvarez> 6. forceful, cogent <strong evidence> <strong talk> 7. not mild or weak ; extreme, intense: 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> 11. a. not easily injured or disturbed ; solid b. not easily subdued or taken <a strong fort> 12. well established ; firm <strong beliefs> 13. not easily upset or nauseated <a strong stomach> 14. having an offensive or intense odor or flavor ; rank <strong breath> 15. tending to steady or higher prices <a strong 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 adverb • strongish adjective • strongly adverb Synonyms: 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>.
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
