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Strengthen vs Strength - What's the difference?

strengthen | strength |

Strength is a derived term of strengthen.



As verbs the difference between strengthen and strength

is that strengthen is to make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strength of; to fortify; to reinforce while strength is to give strength to; to strengthen.

As a noun strength is

the quality or degree of being strong.

strengthen

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • (lb) To make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strength of; to fortify; to reinforce.
  • :
  • *(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • *:Let noble Warwick, Cobham, and the rest,/ With powerful policy strengthen themselves.
  • *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.
  • (lb) To animate; to give moral strength to; to encourage; to fix in resolution; to hearten.
  • *(Bible), (w) iii. 28
  • *:Charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him.
  • *
  • *:"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.."
  • (lb) To augment; to improve; to intensify.
  • (lb) To grow strong or stronger.

    • Antonyms

    * atrophy

    Derived terms

    * strengthener

    References

    * English ergative verbs

    strength

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The quality or degree of being strong.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
    • Our castle's strength will laugh a siege to scorn.
  • * , chapter=5
    • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength —all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.}}
  • The intensity of a force or power; potency.
  • * 1699 , , Heads designed for an essay on conversations
    • Study gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.
  • The strongest part of something; that on which confidence or reliance is based.
  • * Bible, (Psalms) xlvi. 1
    • God is our refuge and strength .
  • * (Jeremy Taylor) (1613–1677)
    • Certainly there is not a greater strength against temptation.
  • A positive attribute.
  • (obsolete) A strong place; a stronghold.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Synonyms

    * fortitude * power * ability * capability * potency * expertise

    Antonyms

    * (The quality of being strong) weakness * (A positive attribute) weakness

    Derived terms

    * bond strength * compressive strength * crushing strength * dielectic strength * fatigue strength * field strength * full-strength * impact strength * industrial-strength * inner strength * ionic strength * party strength * pillar of strength * relative strength * shear strength * strengthen * strengthening * strengthful * strengthless * strengthy * superstrength * tensile strength * tower of strength * ultimate strength * understrength * wet strength * yield strength

    Related terms

    * strong * strongly

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To give strength to; to strengthen.
  • * 1395 , (John Wycliffe), Bible , Job IV:
    • Lo! thou hast tau?t ful many men, and thou hast strengthid hondis maad feynt.
    (Chaucer)

    Statistics

    * English words suffixed with -th