English主要词典
strength
Universal Words
noun
being physically strong
1 [U,sing.] ~ to do sth the quality of being physically strong:
He pushed against the rock with all his strength. * It may take a few weeks for you to build up your strength again. * She didn't have the strength to walk any further. * He had a physical strength that matched his outward appearance.
2 [U] the ability that sth has to resist force or hold heavy weights without breaking or being damaged:
the strength of a rope / box
being brave
3 [U,sing.] the quality of being brave and determined in a difficult situation:
During this ordeal he was able to draw strength from his faith. * She has a remarkable inner strength. * You have shown great strength of character.
power / influence
4 [U] the power and influence that sb/sth has:
Political power depends upon economic strength. * Their superior military strength gives them a huge advantage. * to negotiate from a position of strength * The rally was intended to be a show of strength by the socialists.
of opinion / feeling
5 [U] how strong or deeply felt an opinion or a feeling is:
the strength of public opinion * This view has recently gathered strength (= become stronger or more widely held). * I was surprised by the strength of her feelings.
advantage
6 [C] a quality or an ability that a person or thing has that gives them an advantage:
The ability to keep calm is one of her many strengths. * the strengths and weaknesses of an argument * The new weapon's strength lies in its accuracy.
of natural force
7 [U] how strong a natural force is:
the strength of the sun * wind strength * the strength and direction of the tide
of flavour
8 [U,C] how strong a particular flavour or substance is:
Add more curry powder depending on the strength required. * a range of beers with different strengths (= with different amounts of alcohol in them) * a packet of double-strength mints
of currency
9 [U] how strong a country's CURRENCY (= unit of money) is in relation to other countries' CURRENCIES:
the strength of the dollar
number in group
10 [U] the number of people in a group, a team or an organization:
The strength of the workforce is about to be doubled from 3000 to 6000. * The team will be back at full strength (= with all the best players) for the next match. * The protesters turned out in strength (= in large numbers). * These cuts have left the local police force under strength (= with fewer members than it needs).
IDIOMS
go from strength to strength to become more and more successful:
Since her appointment the department has gone from strength to strength.
on the strength of sth because sb has been influenced or persuaded by sth:
I got the job on the strength of your recommendation. * She hopes to secure a recording contract on the strength of these songs.
moreatTOWERn.
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WHICHWORD?
strength / force / power
You use strength to talk about how strong a person or a thing is, especially their ability to hold great weight: He has been doing weight-training to build up his strength. * I don't have the strength to carry you any further.
You do not usually use power to talk about a person's ability to move or hold heavy objects, though it can be used to refer to the strength in one part of a person's body: She has great power in her shoulders. Power in a physical sense is more likely to relate to the energy contained in a machine, an explosion or something natural such as the wind: The power of the wind can be harnessed to produce electricity.
Force relates to how much physical energy is used by somebody or something, especially when they hit or push something: He fell to the ground under the force of the blow. * Our car was completely wrecked by the force of the collision. * The waves were hitting the rocks with tremendous force. The force of an explosion or a storm is how strong it is.
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