strengthen

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strengthen

  • /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/ Canada, US, UK
  • /ˈstɹɛnθən/ Canada, US, UK
  • [ˈstɹeɪŋ(k)θən]

Rhymes with -ɛŋkθən

Where it comes from

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.

verb strengthens · strengthening · strengthened

  1. transitive To make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strength of; to fortify. strengthen a muscle
  2. transitive To empower; to give moral strength to; to encourage; to enhearten. Charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him.
  3. transitive To augment; to improve; to intensify.
  4. transitive To reinforce, to add to, to support (someone or something) 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

Similar: anneal, brace, consolidate, build up, confirm, corroborate, enstrengthen, fortify, harden, intend, indurate, invigorate, munite, nerve, nerve up, reinforce, roborate, steel, strength, strengthen, thicken · Opposite: weaken, atrophy, debilitate, enervate, enfeeble

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: beef up, tone up, fortify, tone, reinforce, enhanced, enhancement, improvement, improved, promotion, furthering, advancement, further, furtherance, improving, improve

Translations

Every language

verb to animate

Kiswahilikuimarisha
Françaisfortifier
Deutschbestärken, stärken
Italianoanimare

verb to make strong or stronger

Españolfortalecer
日本語強くする tsuyoku suru, 強める tsuyomeru
中文加強 /加强 jiāqiáng
हिन्दीदृढ़ाना dŕṛhānā
Portuguêsfortalecer, reforçar
Françaisrenforcer, affermir, raffermir, fortifier
Deutschverstärken, stärken
Italianorinforzare, rafforzare, corroborare
Ελληνικάενισχύω enischýo
Românăîntări
Русскийуси́ливать usílivatʹ, уси́лить usílitʹ
العربيةقَوَّى qawwā, عَزَّزَ ʕazzaza
עבריתחִזֵּק khizék

verb to augment

Deutschverstärken
Italianointensificare, aumentare

verb to reinforce

Españolfortalecer

verb to grow strong or stronger

Deutschstärker werden
Italianorinforzarsi, rafforzarsi
Românădeveni mai puternic

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Cite this
MLA

"strengthen." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/strengthen. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

strengthen. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/strengthen

Chicago

"strengthen." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/strengthen.

BibTeX
@misc{strengthen_2026,
  title = {strengthen},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/strengthen},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}