strongman
/ˈstrɒŋmæn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstrɔːŋmæn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstrȯŋ-ˌman/ (ame, mw)
strongman — noun
- strongmansingular
- strongmansplural
1. a man who amazes people with his exceptional physical power, often performing in
a man who amazes people with his exceptional physical power, often performing in a circus or competing in events that test strength, such as lifting heavy objects or pulling large vehicles.
The crowd at the county fair gasped when the strongman bent a thick steel bar with his bare hands.
strongman + bends / lifts / pulls (verbs of physical feats)
Hiroshi trained for three years before he qualified to compete as a strongman at the national games in Osaka.
compete as a strongman
At the travelling circus, a strongman invited volunteers to try lifting the iron dumbbell he had just raised with one arm.
Kwame's grandfather worked as a circus strongman in the 1960s, pulling wagons and lifting horses for amazed audiences.
Diego signed up for a strongman competition that required participants to flip a giant tractor tyre and carry sandbags up a ramp.
- strength athlete
broader term that includes both men and women; less common in everyday speech
- powerlifter
refers to a specific sport (squat, bench press, deadlift), not strongman events like truck pulling
- weightlifter
usually refers to Olympic weightlifting (snatch and clean-and-jerk), not the same as strongman
- weakling
a person who is physically weak — informal and often insulting
文法句型
strongman + verb (lifts, performs, competes)
strongman + noun (competition, event, act)
用法筆記
The plural is 'strongmen' (/ˈstrɒŋmɛn/). This sense is distinct from 'bodybuilder' (who focuses on muscle appearance) and 'weightlifter' (who follows Olympic lifting rules). A strongman performs feats of raw strength such as lifting stones, pulling trucks, or bending metal.
常見錯誤
2. a political leader who keeps power by using force, intimidation, or military con
a political leader who keeps power by using force, intimidation, or military control rather than through fair elections or democratic processes.
After the military seized control, the country was ruled by a strongman who jailed anyone who spoke against him.
ruled by a strongman (passive pattern for describing a country's situation)
Dozens of journalists fled the nation when the strongman tightened his grip on all independent news organisations.
Sofia's history class examined how a political strongman often rises to power by promising stability and then crushing all opposition.
The international community imposed sanctions on the strongman after his forces attacked peaceful protesters in the capital.
Emil fled his home country when the local strongman seized power and began arresting members of minority communities.
- dictator
more common term; emphasises absolute rule with no legal limits or opposition allowed
- autocrat
more formal; describes a ruler with unlimited personal power, not necessarily military
- tyrant
strongly negative; emphasises cruel, unjust, and oppressive rule
- authoritarian
adjective or noun; broader term for a leader who demands total obedience to authority
文法句型
strongman + verb (rules, seizes power, crushes, suppresses)
strongman + noun (regime, government, leader, ruler)
用法筆記
Common in news reporting about authoritarian governments. Carries a strongly negative connotation — it implies the leader relies on force and intimidation rather than democratic consent. Distinguished from sense 1 entirely by context: political discussions vs. sports or entertainment.