Dictionary

strengthen en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈstɹɛnθən/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• (New-Jersey) audio
• (California, Southern) audio with California Vowel Shift
• [ˈstɹeɪŋ(k)θən] pre-/ŋ/ tensing, US, Canada

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *strangaz Proto-West Germanic *strang Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂der. Proto-Germanic *-iþō Proto-West Germanic *-iþu Proto-West Germanic *strangiþu Old English strengþu Middle English strengthe Proto-Indo-European *-o- Proto-Indo-European *-nom Proto-Indo-European *-onom Proto-Germanic *-aną Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Germanic *-janą Old English -an Middle English -en Middle English strengthen ▲ Middle English -en Middle English strengthenen English strengthen From rare Middle English strengthenen (14th c.), from earlier strengthen (12th c.), where -en is the infinitive ending. Probably the original form was reinterpreted as strength + -en around the time when the infinitive ending was being apocopated in late Middle English.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strength of; to fortify.
   • The viaduct is joined to the embankment by retaining walls, which have been strengthened since they were constructed by the addition of stay bolts extending right through the embankment and fastened outside each retaining wall. 1952 July 14, W. R. Watson, “Sankey Viaduct and Embankment”, in Railway Magazine, page 487:
   • strengthen a muscle
   • Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest,[…] With powerful policy strengthen themselves. c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
   • strengthen one's willpower
   • strengthen one's authority
   • A little hardship, and a little struggling with the rougher elements of life, will perchance but strengthen and increase his courage, and prepare him for the conflicts and struggles of after years. 1851, anonymous author, Arthur Hamilton, and His Dog:
   • strengthen a wall
2. (transitive) To empower; to give moral strength to; to encourage; to enhearten.
   • my father and mother strengthened me in this my first impression, saying in my presence, I was intended for some great purpose 1831, Nat Turner, The Confessions of Nat Turner:
   • Charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy iii:28:
   • A review of addiction research, published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, suggests mindful meditation strengthens self-control in smokers, even among those smokers who haven’t set an intention to quit. 2015 July 31, Liza Lucas, “How to beat smoking, other bad habits with better self-control”, in CNN:
   • "A fine man, that Dunwody, yonder," commented the young captain, as they parted, and as he turned to his prisoner. "We'll see him on in Washington some day. He is strengthening his forces now against Mr. Benton out there.[…]." 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
3. (transitive) To augment; to improve; to intensify.
4. (transitive) To reinforce, to add to, to support (someone or something)
   • A priority for the new pope will be to strengthen the church’s unity amid differing views and expectations within the institution and growing polarisation in the wider world. 2025 May 8, Angela Giuffrida and Harriet Sherwood, “White smoke from Sistine Chapel chimney signals election of new pope”, in The Guardian:
   • In 2019, Trump signed the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at strengthening HBCUs as well as other minority-serving institutions by providing $255 million annually. 2024 July 1, Chandelis Duster, “Biden and Trump touted what they’ve done for HBCUs at CNN’s debate. Here’s what their records show”, in CNN:
   • Each half-section of the battery weighs about eight tons, and the two underframes had to be strengthened to take this weight. 1958 June 14, “First Battery Railcars on B.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 419:
   • strengthen an army
5. (transitive) To substantiate; to corroborate (a belief, argument, etc.)
   • strengthen the cause
6. (intransitive) To grow strong or stronger.
   • my affection seems so superfluous that I often wonder why it should be so strong. But wise or foolish, there it is, strengthening with the years whether I will or no 1914, Elizabeth Robins Pennell, Our Philadelphia:

Forms

Antonyms

debilitate · enfeeble · enervate · weaken · atrophy

Deriveds

strengthenable · instrengthen · enstrengthen · strengthener · nonstrengthened · strengtheningly · unstrengthening · strengthening plaster · prestrengthen · strengthen up · unstrengthened · restrengthen

Hyponyms

tone up · beef up · restrengthen · shore up · make for · instrengthen · enforce · prop up · temper

Relateds

augment

Synonyms

anneal · invigorate · harden · enstrengthen · corroborate · fortify · thicken · nerve · munite · build up · intend · strengthen · indurate · nerve up · brace · steel · strength · consolidate · confirm · roborate · reinforce

Translations (132)

bg уси́лвам (to make strong or stronger) · la corrōborō (to make strong or stronger) · sh osokòliti (to animate) · mi whakamarohi (to augment) · tr kuvvetlendirmek (to make strong or stronger) · sh оја̀чати (to grow strong or stronger) · pt fortalecer (to make strong or stronger) · fi vahvistaa (to animate) · es fortalecer (to make strong or stronger) · cmn 加強 /加强 (to make strong or stronger) · it corroborare (to make strong or stronger) · izh vahvistaa (to make strong or stronger) · la augeo (to augment) · sq forcoj (to make strong or stronger) · it rafforzarsi (to grow strong or stronger) · ja 強くする (to make strong or stronger) · it animare (to animate) · chr ᎠᏍᏓᏱᏗᎠ (to make strong or stronger) · de bestärken (to animate) · it rinforzarsi (to grow strong or stronger) · ro deveni mai puternic (to grow strong or stronger) · af versterk (to make strong or stronger) · io fortigar (to make strong or stronger) · ca reforçar (to make strong or stronger) · ar قَوَّى (to make strong or stronger) · la rōborō (to make strong or stronger) · nl versterken (to make strong or stronger) · izh vahvissuttaa (to make strong or stronger) · pl wzmacniać (to make strong or stronger) · izh voimistua (to grow strong or stronger) · izh ramoittua (to grow strong or stronger) · sh potàknuti (to animate) · it aumentare (to augment) · cs posílit (to make strong or stronger) · hy ամրանալ (to grow strong or stronger) · it intensificare (to augment) · gl fortalecer (to make strong or stronger) · la firmor (to grow strong or stronger) · de stärken (to animate) · eo fortigi (to make strong or stronger) · fr raffermir (to make strong or stronger) · haw hoʻoikaika (to make strong or stronger) · lv stiprināt (to make strong or stronger) · enm strengthen (to augment) · ru уси́лить (to make strong or stronger) · hy զորացնել (to make strong or stronger) · eo plifortigi (to make strong or stronger) · de stärker werden (to grow strong or stronger) · ro întări (to make strong or stronger) · la animo (to animate) · khb ᦶᦏᧄᦶᦃᧂᦶᦣᧂ (to make strong or stronger) · pt reforçar (to make strong or stronger) · tr kuvvetlenmek (to grow strong or stronger) · pl wzmocnić się (to grow strong or stronger) · mi whakamarohi (to make strong or stronger) · fi vahvistaa (to make strong or stronger) · it rafforzare (to make strong or stronger) · nl tot leven wekken (to animate) · an enfortir (to make strong or stronger) · de verstärken (to make strong or stronger) · izh vahvita (to make strong or stronger) · fi vahvistua (to grow strong or stronger) · hu megerősít (to make strong or stronger) · pl stawać się mocniejszym (to grow strong or stronger) · lad enfuerteser (to make strong or stronger) · mi whakakaha (to make strong or stronger) · crh pekitmek (to make strong or stronger) · el ενισχύω (to make strong or stronger) · enm strengthen (to make strong or stronger) · de stärken (to make strong or stronger) · ka გამაგრება (to make strong or stronger) · sv stärka (to make strong or stronger) · de verstärken (to augment) · la firmō (to make strong or stronger) · hu erősödik (to grow strong or stronger) · it rinforzare (to make strong or stronger) · ru уси́ливать (to make strong or stronger) · fr renforcer (to make strong or stronger) · tr pekiştirmek (to augment) · nl bezielen (to animate) · cy cryfhau (to make strong or stronger) · pl wzmocnić (to make strong or stronger) · tr yüreklendirmek (to animate) · izh vahvistua (to grow strong or stronger) · fi voimistaa (to augment) · sh оја̀чати (to make strong or stronger) · ar عَزَّزَ (to make strong or stronger) · es fortalecer (to reinforce) · ka გაძლიერება (to make strong or stronger) · ja 強める (to make strong or stronger) · tr güçlendirmek (to make strong or stronger) · an fortaleixer (to make strong or stronger) · hu erősít (to make strong or stronger) · izh vahventaa (to make strong or stronger) · sh ojàčati (to make strong or stronger) · lad enreziar (to make strong or stronger) · fr fortifier (to animate) · bg засилвам (to augment) · sh ojàčati (to grow strong or stronger) · grc ῥώννυμι (to make strong or stronger) · fi voimistua (to grow strong or stronger) · tpi strongim (to make strong or stronger) · pl wzmacniać się (to grow strong or stronger) · fr affermir (to make strong or stronger) · hu megerősödik (to grow strong or stronger) · nl versterken (to animate) · fi innostaa (to animate) · fi vahvistaa (to augment) · sv förstärka (to make strong or stronger) · ga neartaigh (to make strong or stronger) · nl kracht geven (to augment) · kn ಬಲಗೊಳ್ಳು (to make strong or stronger) · tr güçlenmek (to grow strong or stronger) · an fortalexer (to make strong or stronger) · enm strengthen (to animate) · lad arreziar (to make strong or stronger) · he חִזֵּק (to make strong or stronger) · hy ուժեղացնել (to make strong or stronger) · pl stawać się coraz silniejszym (to grow strong or stronger) · ca enfortir (to make strong or stronger) · izh vahvenoittaa (to make strong or stronger) · grc ἰσχυρόω (to make strong or stronger) · et tugevdama (to make strong or stronger) · fr fortifier (to make strong or stronger) · sw kuimarisha (to animate) · bg усилвам се (to grow strong or stronger) · pl pokrzepiać (to make strong or stronger) · izh vahveta (to grow strong or stronger) · tl lakasan (to make strong or stronger) · tpi strongim (to grow strong or stronger) · lad enforteser (to make strong or stronger) · hi दृढ़ाना (to make strong or stronger)