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Meaning & use

strong suit

noun·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˌstrɒŋ ˈsuːt/
US/ˌstrɔːŋ ˈsuːt/

Meanings

  1. nounusually singular

    A talent or quality that someone is especially good at and can rely on.

    Grammar: Usually used with a possessive or in a negative: math is not my strong suit.

    Patterns

    • someone's strong suit
    • not be someone's strong suit

    Cooking has never been my strong suit.

    Patience is her strong suit, which makes her a great nursery teacher.

    Public speaking is his strong suit, so he led the presentation.

  2. nouncountablespecialist

    In card games, the group of cards of one type in which a player holds many high cards.

    Grammar: Literal card-game use; the figurative sense is far more common.

    Patterns

    • lead from a strong suit

    She led from her strong suit and took the first four tricks.

    Hearts were his strong suit in that hand.

    A strong suit can win you the game if you play it early.

Word forms

pluralstrong suits

Common combinations

not my strong suit
Spelling is not my strong suit, so I check everything twice.
her strong suit
Organization is her strong suit and it shows in her work.
play to your strong suit
In the interview, play to your strong suit and talk about teamwork.
one of his strong suits
Humor is one of his strong suits as a host.
really a strong suit
Honesty is really a strong suit for this company.

Synonyms and how they differ

forte
Forte is more formal and sounds a bit grander, though it means the same thing as a particular strength.
strength
Strength is the plain, general word and does not carry the card-game image or the casual tone.
specialty
Specialty describes a field someone works in or is known for, not a general quality.
talent
Talent suggests a natural ability, while a strong suit could also be something learned through practice.

Opposites

weak pointweakness

Word family

suit noun
one of the four groups of cards in a deck
strong adjective
having great power or ability
strength noun
a quality or ability that is a source of success

Commonly confused: strong suit or long suit?

strong suit vs long suit

Long suit is a near-synonym with the same card-game origin, but it is used a little less often in modern speech.

Practice

He admits that remembering names is not his ______, so he writes everything down.

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