strong / strông/ • adj. (strong·er / strônggər/ , strong·est / strônggist/ ) 1. having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks: she cut through the water with her strong arms. ∎  able to perform a specified action well and powerfully: he was not a strong swimmer. ∎  exerting great force: a strong current. ∎  (of an argument or case) likely to succeed because of sound reasoning or convincing evidence: there is a strong argument for decentralization. ∎  possessing skills and qualities that create a likelihood of success: the competition was too strong. ∎  powerfully affecting the mind, senses, or emotions: his imagery made a strong impression on the critics. ∎  used after a number to indicate the size of a group: a hostile crowd several thousand strong. 2. able to withstand great force or pressure: cotton is strong, hard-wearing, and easy to handle. ∎  (of a person's constitution) not easily affected by disease or hardship. ∎  (of a person's nervous or emotional state) not easily disturbed or upset: driving on these highways requires strong nerves. ∎  (of a person's character) showing determination, self-control, and good judgment: only a strong will enabled him to survive. ∎  in a secure financial position: the company's chip business remains strong. ∎  (of a market) having steadily high or rising prices. ∎  offering security and advantage: the company was in a strong position to negotiate a deal. ∎  (of a belief or feeling) intense and firmly held. ∎  (of a relationship) lasting and remaining warm despite difficulties. 3. (of light) very intense. ∎  (of something seen or heard) not soft or muted; clear or prominent: she should wear strong colors. ∎  (of food or its flavor) distinctive and pungent: strong cheese. ∎  (of a solution or drink) containing a large proportion of a particular substance; concentrated: a cup of strong coffee. ∎  (of language or actions) forceful and extreme, esp. excessively or unacceptably so: the government was urged to take strong measures against the perpetrators of violence. ∎  Chem. (of an acid or base) fully ionized into cations and anions in solution; having (respectively) a very low or a very high pH. 4. Gram. denoting a class of verbs in Germanic languages that form the past tense and past participle by a change of vowel within the stem rather than by addition of a suffix (e.g., swim, swam, swum); contrasted with weak. 5. Physics of, relating to, or denoting the strongest of the known kinds of force between particles, which acts between nucleons and other hadrons when closer than about 10⁻¹³ cm (so binding protons in a nucleus despite the repulsion due to their charge), and which conserves strangeness, parity, and isospin.PHRASES: come on strong inf. 1. behave aggressively or assertively, esp. in making sexual advances to someone. 2. improve one's position considerably: he came on strong toward the end of the round.going strong inf. continuing to be healthy, vigorous, or successful: the program is still going strong after twelve episodes.strong on good at: he is strong on comedy. ∎  possessing large quantities of: our pizza wasn't strong on pepperoni.one's strong point something at which one excels: arithmetic had never been my strong point.DERIVATIVES: strong·ish adj.strong·ly adv.