Strength vs. Strong — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 11, 2023
Strength is the noun describing the quality or state of being physically strong, while Strong is the adjective that describes someone or something with strength or power.
Difference Between Strength and Strong
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Strength refers to the quality or state of having physical, emotional, or mental power. It can be seen as the capacity to withstand or perform. On the other hand, Strong is an adjective that describes an entity possessing such qualities.
Strength is often used in contexts to measure one's abilities, capabilities, or resilience. For instance, one might question the strength of a material or the strength of someone's character. Conversely, Strong would be used to characterize that material or individual directly, as in 'a strong material' or 'a strong individual.'
In linguistic terms, Strength is a noun. It denotes a thing or concept. When we talk about the strength of a team or the strength of a bond, we are discussing the power or force behind it. Strong, being an adjective, is used to describe nouns. For example, a strong wind or a strong emotion.
Sometimes, Strength can refer to a specific advantage or asset, like in the context of "playing to one's strengths." Strong, on the other hand, tends to generalize, painting an overall picture of power, such as in "a strong performance."
In essence, while Strength quantifies or denotes the idea of power and resilience, Strong qualifies or describes entities with such attributes.
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Comparison Chart
Part of Speech
Noun
Adjective
Example Usage
Strength of a bond
A strong bond
Refers To
Quality or state
Descriptor of someone/something
Can Be Measured
Yes, as in "how much"
Yes, as in "how"
Context
Discussing capacity
Describing capacity
Compare with Definitions
Strength
The physical power and energy possessed by someone or something.
The athlete showcased his strength by lifting heavy weights.
Strong
Having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks.
He is strong enough to carry both bags.
Strength
The emotional or mental qualities necessary in dealing with situations or events that are distressing or difficult.
She showed great strength in coping with the loss.
Strong
Able to withstand force, pressure, or wear.
The safe was strong and couldn’t be broken into.
Strength
The capacity of a substance or object to withstand great force or pressure.
The strength of the rope was tested under extreme conditions.
Strong
Very intense in degree or quality.
The coffee was too strong for my taste.
Strength
The quality or state of being physically strong
Cycling can help you build up your strength
Strong
Having a particular ability to a marked degree.
Her strong suit is her excellent memory.
Strength
The capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure
They were taking no chances with the strength of the retaining wall
Strong
Having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks
She cut through the water with her strong arms
Strength
The potency or degree of concentration of a drug, chemical, or drink
The solution comes in two strengths
It's double the strength of your average beer
Strong
Able to withstand force, pressure, or wear
Cotton is strong, hard-wearing, and easy to handle
Strength
A good or beneficial quality or attribute of a person or thing
The strengths and weaknesses of their sales and marketing operation
His strength was his obsessive single-mindedness
Strong
Very intense
A strong smell
Strength
The number of people comprising a group, typically a team or army
The peacetime strength of the army was 415,000
Strong
Used after a number to indicate the size of a group
A hostile crowd several thousands strong
Strength
The state or quality of being strong; physical power or capacity
The strength needed to lift a box.
Strong
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).
Strength
The capacity to resist attack; impregnability
The strength of the ship's armor.
Strong
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.
Strength
The capacity to resist strain or stress; durability
The strength of the cables.
Strong
Physically powerful; capable of exerting great physical force.
Strength
The ability to deal with difficult situations or to maintain a moral or intellectual position
Does he have the strength to overcome such a tragedy?.
Strong
Marked by great physical power
A strong blow to the head.
Strength
The number of people constituting a normal or ideal organization
The police force has been at half strength since the budget cuts.
Strong
In good or sound health; robust
A strong constitution.
A strong heart.
Strength
Capability in terms of numbers or resources
An army of fearsome strength.
Strong
Economically or financially sound or thriving
A strong economy.
Strength
An attribute or quality of particular worth or utility; an asset
Your easygoing nature is one of your strengths.
Strong
Having force of character, will, morality, or intelligence
A strong personality.
Strength
One that is regarded as the embodiment of protective or supportive power; a support or mainstay
Her family has been her strength in difficult times.
Strong
Having or showing ability or achievement in a specified field
Students who are strong in chemistry.
Strength
Degree of concentration, distillation, or saturation
What's the strength of that cleaning solution?.
Strong
Capable of the effective exercise of authority
A strong leader.
Strength
Operative effectiveness or potency
The strength of the drug.
Strong
Capable of withstanding force or wear; solid, tough, or firm
A strong building.
A strong fabric.
Strength
Intensity, as of sound or light
The strength of the wind.
Strong
Having great binding strength
A strong adhesive.
Strength
Intensity of emotion or belief
The strength of feeling among the voters.
Strong
Not easily captured or defeated
A strong flank.
A strong defense.
Strength
Cogency or persuasiveness
The strength of his argument.
Strong
Not easily upset; resistant to harmful or unpleasant influences
Strong nerves.
A strong stomach.
Strength
Effective or binding force; efficacy
The strength of an argument.
Strong
Having force or rapidity of motion
A strong current.
Strength
Firmness of or a continuous rising tendency in prices, as of a currency or market.
Strong
Persuasive, effective, and cogent
A strong argument.
Strength
(Games) Power derived from the value of playing cards held.
Strong
Forceful and pointed; emphatic
A strong statement.
Strength
The quality or degree of being strong.
It requires great strength to lift heavy objects.
Strong
Forthright and explicit, often offensively so
Strong language.
Strength
The intensity of a force or power; potency.
He had the strength of ten men.
Strong
Extreme; drastic
Had to resort to strong measures.
Strength
The strongest part of something; that on which confidence or reliance is based.
Strong
Having force of conviction or feeling; uncompromising
Strong faith.
A strong supporter.
Strength
A positive attribute.
We all have our own strengths and weaknesses.
Strong
Intense in degree or quality
A strong emotion.
Strong motivation.
Strength
(obsolete) An armed force, a body of troops.
Strong
Having an intense or offensive effect on the senses
Strong light.
Strong vinegar.
Strong cologne.
Strength
(obsolete) A strong place; a stronghold.
Strong
Clear and loud
A strong voice.
Strength
(obsolete) To strengthen all senses.
Strong
Readily noticeable; remarkable
A strong resemblance.
A strong contrast.
Strength
The quality or state of being strong; ability to do or to bear; capacity for exertion or endurance, whether physical, intellectual, or moral; force; vigor; power; as, strength of body or of the arm; strength of mind, of memory, or of judgment.
All his [Samson's] strength in his hairs were.
Thou must outliveThy youth, thy strength, thy beauty.
Strong
Readily detected or received
A strong radio signal.
Strength
Power to resist force; solidity or toughness; the quality of bodies by which they endure the application of force without breaking or yielding; - in this sense opposed to frangibility; as, the strength of a bone, of a beam, of a wall, a rope, and the like.
Strong
Having a high concentration of an essential or active ingredient
Mixed a strong solution of bleach and water.
Strength
Power of resisting attacks; impregnability.
Strong
Containing a considerable percentage of alcohol
Strong punch.
Strength
That quality which tends to secure results; effective power in an institution or enactment; security; validity; legal or moral force; logical conclusiveness; as, the strength of social or legal obligations; the strength of law; the strength of public opinion; strength of evidence; strength of argument.
Strong
Powerfully effective
A strong painkiller.
Strength
One who, or that which, is regarded as embodying or affording force, strength, or firmness; that on which confidence or reliance is based; support; security.
God is our refuge and strength.
What they boded would be a mischief to us, you are providing shall be one of our principal strengths.
Certainly there is not a greater strength against temptation.
Strong
Of or relating to a color having a high degree of saturation.
Strength
Force as measured; amount, numbers, or power of any body, as of an army, a navy, and the like; as, what is the strength of the enemy by land, or by sea?
Strong
Having a specified number of units or members
A military force 100,000 strong.
Strength
Vigor or style; force of expression; nervous diction; - said of literary work.
And praise the easy vigor of a lifeWhere Denham's strength and Waller's sweetness join.
Strong
Marked by steady or rising prices
A strong market.
Strength
Intensity; - said of light or color.
Bright Phœbus in his strength.
Strong
Of or relating to those verbs in Germanic languages that form their past tense by a change in stem vowel, and their past participles by a change in stem vowel and sometimes by adding the suffix -(e)n, as sing, sang, sung or tear, tore, torn.
Strength
Intensity or degree of the distinguishing and essential element; spirit; virtue; excellence; - said of liquors, solutions, etc.; as, the strength of wine or of acids.
Strong
Of or relating to the inflection of nouns or adjectives in Germanic languages with endings that historically did not contain a suffix with an n.
Strength
A strong place; a stronghold.
Strong
Stressed or accented in pronunciation or poetic meter. Used of a word or syllable.
Strength
To strengthen.
Strong
In a strong, powerful, or vigorous manner; forcefully
A salesperson who comes on too strong.
Strength
The property of being physically or mentally strong;
Fatigue sapped his strength
Strong
Capable of producing great physical force.
A big strong man; Jake was tall and strong
Strength
Capability in terms of personnel and materiel that affect the capacity to fight a war;
We faced an army of great strength
Politicians have neglected our military posture
Strong
Capable of withstanding great physical force.
A strong foundation; good strong shoes
Strength
Physical energy or intensity;
He hit with all the force he could muster
It was destroyed by the strength of the gale
A government has not the vitality and forcefulness of a living man
Strong
(of water, wind, etc.) Having a lot of power.
The man was nearly drowned after a strong undercurrent swept him out to sea.
Strength
An asset of special worth or utility;
Cooking is his forte
Strong
Determined; unyielding.
He is strong in the face of adversity.
Strength
The power to induce the taking of a course of action or the embracing of a point of view by means of argument or entreaty;
The strength of his argument settled the matter
Strong
Highly stimulating to the senses.
A strong light; a strong taste
Strength
The amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation);
He adjusted the intensity of the sound
They measured the station's signal strength
Strong
Having an offensive or intense odor or flavor.
A strong smell
Strength
Capacity to produce strong physiological or chemical effects;
The toxin's potency
The strength of the drinks
Strong
Having a high concentration of an essential or active ingredient.
A strong cup of coffee; a strong medicine
Strength
The condition of financial success;
The strength of the company's stock in recent weeks
Strong
(specifically) Having a high alcoholic content.
A strong drink
She gets up, and pours herself a strong one. - Eagles, Lying Eyes
Strength
Permanence by virtue of the power to resist stress or force;
They advertised the durability of their products
Strong
(grammar) Inflecting in a different manner than the one called weak, such as Germanic verbs which change vowels.
A strong verb
Strength
A good or beneficial quality or attribute of a person or thing.
Her main strength is her ability to communicate effectively.
Strong
(chemistry) That completely ionizes into anions and cations in a solution.
A strong acid;
A strong base
Strength
The number of people comprising a group or team.
The army's strength was over fifty thousand.
Strong
(military) Not easily subdued or taken.
A strong position
Strong
Having wealth or resources.
A strong economy
Strong
Impressive, good.
You're working with troubled youth in your off time? That’s strong!
Strong
Having a specified number of people or units.
The enemy's army force was five thousand strong.
Strong
(of a disease or symptom) Severe; very bad or intense.
Strong
Having a wide range of logical consequences; widely applicable. (Often contrasted with a weak statement which it implies.)
Strong
(of an argument) Convincing.
Strong
In a strong manner.
Strong
Having active physical power, or great physical power to act; having a power of exerting great bodily force; vigorous.
That our oxen may be strong to labor.
Orses the strong to greater strength must yield.
Strong
Having passive physical power; having ability to bear or endure; firm; hale; sound; robust; as, a strong constitution; strong health.
Strong
Solid; tough; not easily broken or injured; able to withstand violence; able to sustain attacks; not easily subdued or taken; as, a strong beam; a strong rock; a strong fortress or town.
Strong
Having great military or naval force; powerful; as, a strong army or fleet; a nation strong at sea.
Strong
Having great wealth, means, or resources; as, a strong house, or company of merchants.
Strong
Reaching a certain degree or limit in respect to strength or numbers; as, an army ten thousand strong.
Strong
Moving with rapidity or force; violent; forcible; impetuous; as, a strong current of water or wind; the wind was strong from the northeast; a strong tide.
Strong
Adapted to make a deep or effectual impression on the mind or imagination; striking or superior of the kind; powerful; forcible; cogent; as, a strong argument; strong reasons; strong evidence; a strong example; strong language.
Strong
Ardent; eager; zealous; earnestly engaged; as, a strong partisan; a strong Whig or Tory.
Her mother, ever strong against that match.
Strong
Having virtues of great efficacy; or, having a particular quality in a great degree; as, a strong powder or tincture; a strong decoction; strong tea or coffee.
Strong
Full of spirit; containing a large proportion of alcohol; intoxicating; as, strong liquors.
Strong
Affecting any sense powerfully; as, strong light, colors, etc.; a strong flavor of onions; a strong scent.
Strong
Solid; nourishing; as, strong meat.
Strong
Well established; firm; not easily overthrown or altered; as, a strong custom; a strong belief.
Strong
Violent; vehement; earnest; ardent.
He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears.
Strong
Having great force, vigor, power, or the like, as the mind, intellect, or any faculty; as, a man of a strong mind, memory, judgment, or imagination.
I was stronger in prophecy than in criticism.
Strong
Vigorous; effective; forcible; powerful.
Like her sweet voice is thy harmonious song,As high, as sweet, as easy, and as strong.
Strong
Tending to higher prices; rising; as, a strong market.
Strong
Pertaining to, or designating, a verb which forms its preterit (imperfect) by a variation in the root vowel, and the past participle (usually) by the addition of -en (with or without a change of the root vowel); as in the verbs strive, strove, striven; break, broke, broken; drink, drank, drunk. Opposed to weak, or regular. See Weak.
Strong
Having strength or power greater than average or expected;
A strong radio signal
Strong medicine
A strong man
Strong
Used of syllables or musical beats
Strong
Not faint or feeble;
A strong odor of burning rubber
Strong
Having or wielding force or authority;
Providing the ground soldier with increasingly potent weapons
Strong
Having a strong physiological or chemical effect;
A potent toxin
Potent liquor
A potent cup of tea
Strong
Able to withstand attack;
An impregnable fortress
Fortifications that made the frontier inviolable
Strong
Of good quality and condition; solidly built;
A solid foundation
Several substantial timber buildings
Strong
Of verbs not having standard (or regular) inflection;
`sing' is a strong verb
Strong
Having a high alcoholic content;
Hard liquor
Strong
Freshly made or left;
A warm trail
The scent is warm
Strong
Strong and sure;
A firm grasp
Gave a strong pull on the rope
Strong
Secure and unlikely to break or fail.
Their friendship is very strong.
Common Curiosities
Can you give an example of "strength" in a sentence?
The strength of the bridge is commendable.
Is "strong" only used in a physical context?
No, "strong" can describe anything from taste to emotions.
How is "strong" typically used in sentences?
Strong is an adjective used to describe nouns.
Can "strength" refer to emotional capability?
Yes, strength can refer to both physical and emotional resilience.
Can "strong" be used to talk about proficiency in a skill?
Yes, like "She's strong in mathematics."
What's an antonym for "strong"?
Weak.
Is "strength" a noun or an adjective?
Strength is a noun.
What's the opposite of "strength"?
Weakness.
How would you use "strong" to describe a flavor?
The chili had a very strong flavor.
Is "strength" always tangible?
No, strength can be intangible, like strength of character.
Can "strength" be used to discuss numbers in a group?
Yes, for instance, "The strength of the choir is 40 members."
How can "strong" describe an emotion?
For example, "He has a strong desire to succeed."
How are "strength" and "strong" related?
"Strength" is the quality or state, while "strong" describes someone or something possessing that quality.
Can "strong" be used to describe objects?
Yes, like "a strong beam" or "a strong fabric."
Can "strength" be synonymous with "advantage"?
In some contexts, yes. For example, "Her strength lies in her analytical skills."
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Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
