strengthening

Verb

strengthen (third-person singular simple present strengthens, present participle strengthening, simple past and past participle strengthened)

1. (transitive) To make strong or stronger; to add strength to; to increase the strength of; to fortify.
   • strengthen a muscle
2. (transitive) To empower; to give moral strength to; to encourage; to enhearten.
   • Charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomy iii:28
3. (transitive) To augment; to improve; to intensify.
4. (transitive) To reinforce, to add to, to support (someone or something)
   • strengthen an army
5. (transitive) To substantiate; to corroborate (a belief, argument, etc.)
   • strengthen the cause
6. (intransitive) To grow strong or stronger.
   • my affection seems so superfluous that I often wonder why it should be so strong. But wise or foolish, there it is, strengthening with the years whether I will or no1914, Elizabeth Robins Pennell, Our Philadelphia