strong

English Online Dictionary. What means strong‎? What does strong mean?

English

Alternative forms

• strang (dialectal)
• stronk (intentional misspelling)

Etymology

From Middle English strong, strang, from Old English strang, from Proto-West Germanic *strang, from Proto-Germanic *strangaz (“tight, strict, straight, strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- (“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”), Norwegian streng (“strong, hard”), Icelandic strangur (“strict”), Latin stringō (“tighten”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: strŏng, IPA^(key): /stɹɒŋ/, [st̠͡ɹ̠ɒŋ], [ʃt̠͡ɹ̠ɒŋ]
• (US) enPR: strông, IPA^(key): /stɹɔŋ/, [st̠͡ɹ̠ɔŋ], [ʃt̠͡ɹ̠ɔŋ], [ʃt͡ʃɹɔŋ]
• (cot–caught merger) enPR: strŏng, IPA^(key): /stɹɑŋ/, [st̠͡ɹ̠ɑŋ], [ʃt̠͡ɹ̠ɑŋ]
• Rhymes: -ɒŋ

Adjective

strong (comparative stronger, superlative strongest)

1. Capable of producing great physical force.

   Synonyms: forceful, powerful

   Antonyms: weak, forceless
2. Capable of withstanding great physical force.

   Synonyms: durable, sturdy, tough

   Antonym: fragile
3. (loosely) Possessing power, might, or strength.
4. Determined; unyielding.

   Synonyms: ardent, zealous, (dialectal) swith

5. Highly stimulating to the senses.

   Synonyms: extreme, intense

6. Having an offensive or intense odor or flavor.

   Synonym: rank

8. Having a high concentration of an essential or active ingredient.

   Synonyms: concentrated, potent

   Antonyms: weak, diluted, impotent

10. (specifically) Having a high alcoholic content.

    Synonym: hard

    She gets up, and pours herself a strong one. - Eagles, Lying Eyes

11. (grammar) Inflecting in a different manner than the one called weak, such as Germanic verbs which change vowels.

    Antonym: weak

12. (chemistry) That completely ionizes into anions and cations in a solution.

    Antonym: weak

13. (military) Not easily subdued or taken.

    Synonyms: impregnable, inviolable, secure, unassailable, unattackable

    Antonym: weak

14. Having wealth or resources.

15. (slang, US) Impressive, good.

16. Having a specified number of people or units.
17. (of a disease or symptom) Severe; very bad or intense.
18. (mathematics, logic) Having a wide range of logical consequences; widely applicable. (Often contrasted with a weak statement which it implies.)
19. (of an argument) Convincing.

Hyponyms

• ultrastrong

Derived terms

Descendants

• Sranan Tongo: tranga
  • Aukan: taanga
  • Saramaccan: taánga

Translations

See also

• strength

Adverb

strong (not comparable)

1. In a strong manner.

   As a salesperson I always come on strong.

Synonyms

• (in a strong manner): forcefully, powerfully, vigorously, strongly

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “in a strong manner”): forcelessly, powerlessly, weakly

Translations

See also

• strong as an ox
• strong personality
• strong verb

Anagrams

• trongs

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English strang, from Proto-Germanic *strangaz.

Alternative forms

• stronge, stronke, stron, strange, straunge

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /strɔnɡ/, /stranɡ/

Adjective

strong (plural and weak singular stronge, comparative strenger or stronger, superlative strengest or strongest)

1. strong

Antonyms

• feble
• weyk

Descendants

• English: strong, string
• Scots: strang
• Yola: straung

References

• “strong, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old French estrange.

Adjective

strong

1. alternative form of straunge

Old English

Adjective

strong

1. alternative form of strang

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. (colloquial) mentally and morally strong, courageous
2. (colloquial) strong (of a performance or the like)

   Synonym: stark

Declension

Related terms

• strongt

References

• strong in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• strong in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• strong in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From 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

• strongim
• strongpela

Noun

strong

1. Strength