Strong

How to spell strong

6 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce strong

What does strong mean?

1. adjectiveHaving great physical power, force, durability, or intensity.

Strong in a sentence

• The rope was strong enough to hold the heavy crate.

• She brewed a strong cup of coffee to stay awake.

Where does strong come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a native English word, descending from the Old English strang, which meant 'powerful', 'firm', or 'severe'. It traces back to a Proto-Germanic root strangaz, and you can still hear its relatives in the German streng 'strict' and the Dutch streng 'severe'. The same root family gave English the noun 'strength', where the vowel shifted but the underlying idea of firmness stayed put. Over the centuries the sense broadened from sheer physical power to cover intensity of taste, smell, and feeling, as well as durability and persuasiveness. Because it has always been a plain Germanic word, its spelling has stayed simple and stable, and the only mild trap is the silent-looking '-ong' cluster.

How the word is built

• strong (from Old English strang: powerful, firm); base adjective with no affixes