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strong-arm

adjective · verb · noun

Simple meaning

To bully, to intimidate.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

strawngahrm

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈstɹɔˈŋɑɹm

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adjective

  1. usually figuratively

    Coercive, employing force.

  2. Bullying; extortionate.

verb

  1. often figurativetransitive

    To bully, to intimidate; to coerce, to muscle.

noun

  1. A person who threatens or intimidates others, especially on behalf of somebody else; a goon or enforcer.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
C2 · Proficient (estimated)
Typical Use
Rare

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More ways to use strong-arm

  • “He was strong-armed by the policemen.”verb

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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: to bully or to intimidate

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.