strong suit

IPA/ˈstrɒŋ ˌsuːt/
IPA/ˈstrɑːŋ ˌsuːt/

strong suit — noun

1. a specific skill, ability, or talent with which an individual or group excels —

1.名詞B2
釋義

a specific skill, ability, or talent with which an individual or group excels — whether developed through practice or naturally present

例句

Mathematics has never been Bao's strong suit, but she works hard at improving her grades.

possessive + strong suit (negated: not someone's strong suit)

Cooking is one of Christopher's strong suits — his family looks forward to his weekend dinners.

plural form: one of [possessive] strong suits

同義詞
  • forte

    more formal and less common in everyday conversation

  • specialty

    more concrete; often refers to a trained skill or professional area

  • gift

    emphasizes natural talent rather than learned skill

  • strength

    broader in meaning; can refer to any positive quality, not just a skill

反義詞
  • weakness

    general opposite; something a person is not good at

  • weak suit

    less common but direct antonym in this fixed expression

  • weak point

    often used in the same 'not my X' structure

用法筆記

Most common in negative or contrasting contexts ('not my strong suit'). Can refer to both learned skills and natural talents. Also used with group or organization subjects ('the team's strong suit'). The expression comes from card games (bridge, whist) where a player's 'strong suit' is the one containing the highest-value cards.

常見錯誤

❌Math is a strong suit for me.
✅Math is my strong suit.
💡The expression normally takes a possessive determiner or noun, not an article.
❌His strong suit is that he works hard.
✅Hard work is his strong suit.
💡'Strong suit' names a quality or skill, not a clause describing behaviour.

2. an especially useful or effective quality that a thing, system, or place offers

2.名詞B2
釋義

an especially useful or effective quality that a thing, system, or place offers

例句

This smartphone's strong suit is its long-lasting battery that easily lasts two full days.

inanimate possessor: thing's strong suit

The location is the hotel's strongest feature, but value for money is not its strong suit.

同義詞
  • advantage

    more general; can refer to any beneficial aspect, not just distinctive ones

  • selling point

    more commercial; focuses on what attracts customers or users

  • asset

    broader; can be a physical resource or intangible quality

反義詞
  • weakness

    general opposite for features of things

  • drawback

    specific to negative aspects of a product or service

用法筆記

Subject is normally an inanimate noun (product, place, service) followed by the possessive. The feature named as the strong suit must be a positive attribute.

常見錯誤

❌The hotel's strong suit is bad service.
✅The hotel's weak point is bad service.
💡'Strong suit' only describes positive qualities.