strengthen
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to strengthen (third-person singular simple present strengthens, present participle strengthening, simple past and past participle strengthened)
- (transitive) To make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strength of; as, to strengthen a limb, a bridge, an army; to strengthen an obligation; to strengthen authority; to fortify; to reinforce.
- (transitive) To animate; to give moral strength; to encourage; to fix in resolution; to hearten.
- (transitive) To augment; to improve; to intensify.
- (intransitive) To grow strong or stronger.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Translations
to make strong or stronger
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to animate
to augment
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to grow strong or stronger
[edit] Related terms
[edit] References
- strengthen in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913