A Topical Dictionary: Search for strengthen

Dictionary Results For "strengthen" [?]/[OPML]

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English

Pronunciation

An audio transcript can be found at en-us-strengthen.ogg

Etymology

Verb

To make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strenght of; as, to strengthen a limb, a bridge, an army; to strengthen an obligation; to strengthen authority; to fortify; to reinforce.
To animate; to give moral strength; to encourage; to fix in resolution; to hearten.
To augment; to improve; to intensify.
To grow strong or stronger.

Quotations

1851: Anonymous, Arthur Hamilton, and His Dog
: 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.

Translations

Crimean Tatar: pekitmek
Czech:
Dutch:
German: verstärken, stärken
Hungarian:

Dutch: bezielen, tot leven wekken
German: ,

Dutch: kracht geven
German: verstärken

Dutch: sterker worden
German: stark#German|stärker werden
Hungarian:

Related terms

References

Category:English ergative verbs

et:strengthen fr:strengthen io:strengthen id:strengthen it:strengthen hu:strengthen fi:strengthen te:strengthen vi:strengthen

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Strengthen \Strength"en\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Strengthened; p.
pr. & vb. n. Strengthening.]
1. To make strong or stronger; to add strength to; as, to
strengthen a limb, a bridge, an army; to strengthen an
obligation; to strengthen authority.
[1913 Webster]

Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest, . . .
With powerful policy strengthen themselves. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]

2. To animate; to encourage; to fix in resolution.
[1913 Webster]

Charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen
him. --Deut. iii.
28.
[1913 Webster]

Syn: To invigorate; confirm; establish; fortify; animate;
encourage.
[1913 Webster]

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Strengthen \Strength"en\, v. i.
To grow strong or stronger.
[1913 Webster]

The young disease, that must subdue at length,
Grows with his growth, and strengthens with his
strength. --Pope.
[1913 Webster]

WordNet strengthen
v 1: make strong or stronger; "This exercise will strengthen your
upper body"; "strenghten the relations between the two
countries" [syn: beef up, fortify] [ant: weaken]
2: gain strength; "His body strengthened" [ant: weaken]
3: give a healthy elasticity to; "Let's tone our muscles" [syn:
tone, tone up]

Moby Dictionary
accelerate , accrue , accumulate , add to , advance , affirm , aggravate ,
animate , anneal , appreciate , attest , augment , authenticate , back ,
back up , balloon , be tough , bear out , beef up , bloat , blow up ,
bolster , boom , boost , brace , brace up , breed , broaden , buttress ,
case harden , certify , cheer , chirk up , circumstantiate , complicate ,
concentrate , condense , confirm , consolidate , corroborate ,
crescendo , deepen , develop , document , double , embolden , encourage ,
endure , energize , enhance , exacerbate , exaggerate , fortify , gain ,
gain strength , gelt , get ahead , gird , go up , grow , hang tough ,
harden , hearten , heat up , heighten , hop up , hot up , increase ,
inspirit , intensify , invigorate , jazz up , key up , magnify ,
make complex , mount , multiply , nerve , nourish , nutrify , prepare ,
probate , proliferate , prop , prove , ramify , ratify , ready , recruit ,
redouble , refresh , reinforce , reinvigorate , rejuvenate , renew ,
restrengthen , rigidify , rise , run up , screw up , sharpen , shoot up ,
shore up , sinew , snowball , soup up , spread , steel , step up ,
stiffen , substantiate , supplement , support , sustain , swell , temper ,
tense , tighten , tone up , toughen , trice up , triple , undergird ,
uphold , validate , verify , vitalize , warrant , wax , whet , widen