strengthen
Intermediate (B1)
IPA: /ˈstrɛŋkθən/
KK: /ˈstrɛŋkθən/
intransitive verb
Definition
To become more powerful or more effective.
Example
The team worked hard to strengthen their skills before the competition.
Tense Forms
Past: strengthened
Past Participle: strengthened
Conversation
I’ve been trying to work out more lately.
That's great! Regular exercise can really help strengthen your muscles.
Yeah, I want to strengthen my overall fitness too.
Just keep at it, and you'll see some amazing results!
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
grow
increase
intensify
Antonyms
weaken
diminish
decline
transitive verb
Definition
To make something stronger or more powerful.
Example
The coach worked hard to strengthen the team's skills before the big game.
Tense Forms
Past: strengthened
Past Participle: strengthened
Conversation
I've been trying to find ways to strengthen my workout routine.
That's a great idea! What have you tried so far?
I think adding more weights might really help to strengthen my muscles.
Root Explanation
Strengthen → It is formed from "strength" (from Old English *strength*, meaning power or force) and "-en" (a suffix used to form verbs indicating to cause to be or to become). The word "strengthen" means to cause to become stronger or to increase in power.
Memory Tip
Think of the word 'strength' which means power, and remember that 'strengthen' means to make something more powerful.
Visually Confused Words
unstrengthen
restrengthen
instrengthen
enstrengthen
prestrengthen
unstrengthened
unstrength