strengthen

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/ See IPA manual

Freq #12026

Meanings

1

verb
To make something stronger or more powerful.

Regular exercise will strengthen your muscles.
2

verb
To become stronger.

The wind strengthened as the storm moved closer.
3

verb
To support an idea or argument with more evidence.

New data strengthened their case for the policy change.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make something stronger... fortify reinforce

More anneal brace confirm enstrengthen harden indurate intend invigoratemunitenerve

Opposites

atrophy debilitate enervate enfeeble weaken

Word family

Forms strengthenedstrengtheningstrengthens

Derived forms enstrengtheninstrengthennonstrengthenedprestrengthenrestrengthenstrengthenablestrengthenerstrengtheninglyunstrengthenedunstrengthening

Related forms augment

Etymology

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.

strengthenen Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# strengthen

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/
**Frequency rank:** 12026

## Meanings
1. To make something stronger or more powerful.
2. To become stronger.
3. To support an idea or argument with more evidence.

## Examples
- Regular exercise will strengthen your muscles.
- The wind strengthened as the storm moved closer.
- New data strengthened their case for the policy change.

## Synonyms
- anneal
- brace
- confirm
- enstrengthen
- fortify
- harden
- indurate
- intend
- invigorate
- munite
- nerve
- reinforce

## Antonyms
- atrophy
- debilitate
- enervate
- enfeeble
- weaken

## Derived Forms
- enstrengthen
- instrengthen
- nonstrengthened
- prestrengthen
- restrengthen
- strengthenable
- strengthener
- strengtheningly
- unstrengthened
- unstrengthening

## Related Forms
- augment

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: strengthenen
- Affix: -en - to make

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Strengthen is 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. In present-day use, it can mean to make something stronger or more powerful, or to become stronger.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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