B1verb · transitive · common

strengthen

strengthen · strengthens · strengthened · strengthening

підтвердити, підтверджувати, стверджувати

усилить, усиливать

verstärken, stärken, stärker werden, bestärken

To make strong or strongerTo make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strength of; to fortify.

ⓘ

/ˈstɹɛŋ(k)θən/

» Time, which strengthens friendship, weakens love.

Время, укрепляющее дружбу, ослабляет любовь.

Meaning

6 senses

(transitive)To make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strength of; to fortify.
strengthen a muscle
strengthen a wall
verstärken, stärken
уси́ливатьusílivatʹ, уси́литьusílitʹ
make strong or stronger
(transitive)To empower; to give moral strength to; to encourage; to enhearten.
(transitive)To augment; to improve; to intensify.
verstärken
(transitive)To reinforce, to add to, to support (someone or something)
strengthen an army
(transitive)To substantiate; to corroborate (a belief, argument, etc.)
strengthen the cause
(intransitive)To grow strong or stronger.
stärker werden

Examples

124 sentences

Time, which strengthens friendship, weakens love.
ruВремя, укрепляющее дружбу, ослабляет любовь.
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I'm working on strengthening my arms.
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Tom is strengthening his core muscles.
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Algeria needs to strengthen its currency.
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Algeria needs to strengthen its army.
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Translations

8 languages

Русский

By meaning 1

to make strong or stronger:

Deutsch

By meaning 3

to animate:

to make strong or stronger:

to grow strong or stronger:

Origin

From rare Middle English strengthenen (14th c.), from earlier strengthen (12th c.), where

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.

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