Etymology
Advertisement

strengthen (v.)

late 14c., from strength + -en (1). Related: Strengthened; strengthening; strengthener. Earlier verb was simply strength (12c.).

Entries linking to strengthen

strength (n.)
Old English strengþu, strengð "bodily power, force, vigor, firmness, fortitude, manhood, violence, moral resistance," from Proto-Germanic *strangitho (source also of Old High German strengida "strength"), from PIE *strenk- "tight, narrow" (see string (n.)), with Proto-Germanic abstract noun suffix *-itho (see -th (2)). Compare length/long. From the same root as strong,
-en (1)

word-forming element making verbs (such as darken, weaken) from adjectives or nouns, from Old English -nian, from Proto-Germanic *-inojan (also source of Old Norse -na), from PIE adjectival suffix *-no-. Most active in Middle English and early modern English, hence most verbs in -en are comparatively recent.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Definitions of strengthen

strengthen (v.)
make strong or stronger;
This exercise will strengthen your upper body
strengthen the relations between the two countries
Synonyms: beef up / fortify
strengthen (v.)
gain strength;
His body strengthened
strengthen (v.)
give a healthy elasticity to;
Synonyms: tone / tone up
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near strengthen

street

street-car

street-walker

street-wise

strength

strengthen

strenuous

strep

Strephon

strepto-

streptococcus

© 2001-2022 Douglas Harper