Things That Are Strong

Welcome to our list of things that are strong!

In this list, we’ve included things that are physically very capable as well as things that are able to withstand a great amount of force or pressure. This means you’ll see a mixture of living and non-living things. We’ve tried to be both as broad and as accurate as possible, so we hope we’ve got what you’re looking for here!

Here’s a visual list of things that are strong:

Hopefully that visual list of strong things was useful! Here’s a longer and more descriptive list of things that are strong:

  • Heart: A muscular organ that is very strong and pumps blood throughout the body.
  • Tongue: A muscular organ that we use for swallowing, talking and to help in chewing.
  • Bone: A hard organ made of calcium. Forms the skeleton.
  • Graphene: A layer of carbon atoms arranged in a 2D honeycomb lattice. It is flexible, transparent and incredibly strong.
  • Maraging Steel: Iron-nickel alloy that is carbon free. It is hardened and strengthened with a prolonged heat-treatment process.
  • Carbon Fibre: Also known as carbon composite. A very strong and reinforced plastic which contains carbon fibres.
  • Spectra Fiber: A fibre that is stronger than steel and aramid fibre, is able to withstand heavy weights and is resistant to chemicals, water, and UV lgiht.
  • Spider Silk: A protein fibre that is woven by spiders. Used to make webs and is harvested as material for cloth.
  • Silicon Carbide: A mix of silicon and carbon. An extremely hard compound that is used as an abrasive.
  • Metallic Glass: Also known as amorphous metal or glassy metal. A solid alloy that is three times the strength of steel.
  • Wurtzite Boron Nitride: A stable material that is harder than a diamond.
  • Mineral Lonsdaleite: Also known as hexagonal diamond. Carbon with a hexagonal lattice that is formed when meteorites that contain graphite collide with the Earth.
  • Tortoise/Turtle Shell: The protective shell of turtles and tortoises. Is is made of bone and is strong enough to withstand the weight of a small car.  
  • Mollusc Shell: Mollusc shells protect them from predators and against physical damage. While the shells may be easy for humans to break, they are very strong in proportion to their small size and can also be resistant to dissolving.
  • Chromium: A chemical element that is hard but brittle, and has anti-corrosion properties.
  • Titanium: A low-density metal with high strength.
  • Dyneema: A lightweight, spun gel that has high strength.
  • Buckypaper: A thin sheet of carbon nanotubes. Can be used as body armor, vehicle armour, and for electronics.
  • Limpet Teeth: Limpet teeth have a higher tensile strength than spider silk, making it the strongest known biological material.
  • Carbon Steel: An alloy made of steel and carbon. The more carbon, the stronger it is.
  • Iron: A metal that was commonly used to make tools and weapons.
  • Stainless Steel: An iron-based alloy. Is resistant to staining and corrosion and is very strong and durable.
  • Tungsten: Also known as wolfram. Has a high boiling point, is brittle, very dense and very hard.
  • Tungsten Carbide: An alloy of tungsten and carbon. About twice the stiffness and density of steel.
  • Inconel: A family of alloys made from nickel and chromium. Resistant to oxidation and corrosion and can withstand high levels of heat and pressure.
  • Darwin’s Bark Spider Silk: Darwin’s Bark spiders produce the largest webs of all orb weaver spiders. The silk it weaves is ten times tougher than Kevlar.  
  • Liquidmetal: Metal alloys with high tensile strength and high corrosion resistance. Currently used for watches, cell phones and golf clubs.
  • Nanocellulose: Has a similar stiffness to Kevlar and a strength – weight ratio that is 8 times stainless steel.
  • Kevlar: A heat-resistant synthetic fibre that is best known for making bulletproof vests. Was initially used as a replacement for steel in tyres. Has a strength-weight ratio that is five times higher than steel.
  • Carbon Nanotubes: Has excellent tensile strength and electrical conductivity. Can be used in electronics and optics.
  • Moissanite: A naturally occurring composite of silicon and carbon. A rare and very hard mineral. Is commonly used in decorative jewelry for its durability and hardness.
  • Leafcutter Ant: A group of leaf-eating ants that can carry 20 times their body weight.
  • Gorilla: Mostly herbivorous mammals that are the largest living primates.
  • Kangaroo: Large mammals with powerful hing legs and tails. They can balance their entire bodyweight on their tails.
  • Elephant: The strongest land mammals. They can carry up to 9000kg, the equivalent of about 130 adult humans.
  • Ox: Commonly used for plowing, transport, and in the agricultural industry. Able to pull heavy loads over long distances.
  • Tiger: The largest cat species. Known for its striped fur and is commonly featured in pop culture (Calvin and Hobbes, Zootopia).
  • Grizzly Bear: Large brown bears that can lift over 500 kilos (about 0.8 times their body weight).
  • Rhinoceros Beetle: A subfamily of the scarab beetle family that includes Hercules beetles, unicorn beetles and horn beetles. Large beetles that don’t bite or sting, but can lift many times their own weight.  
  • Hippopotamus: Considered the most dangerous land mammal. They have strong jaws and bodies and can crush their young while fighting with each other.  
  • Abalone Shell: Tough shells that are commonly used for decorative plating and jewelry. Their strength comes from layers and layers of stacked calcium.
  • Dung Beetle: Beetles that feed on dung.
  • Toucan Beak: Toucans have beaks that are lightweight and strong. They can absorb high-energy impacts while still remaining porous enough to allow them to fly.
  • Earthquake: Also known as a tremor or temblor. The shaking of the Earth’s surface due to tectonic plates rubbing together. This can cause hugely destructive seismic waves that can destroy skyscrapers and entire cities.
  • Tsunami: A series of large, powerful waves. They are caused by water displacement (tectonic force, underwater explosions) and can level entire cities along coastlines.
  • Volcanic Eruption: A rupture in the Earth’s crust that allows lava, ash and gases to escape.
  • Avalanche: Also known as a snowslide. This is when a slab of snow breaks and slides down a steep slope. They generally grow in mass, volume and speed as they go.
  • Tornado: A tall, quickly rotating column of air. Also known as a twister, cyclone or whirlwind. Can cause mass destruction and very powerful winds.
  • Hurricane: Also known as a tropical cyclone. Hurricanes are rotating storm systems with strong winds and spiralling thunderstorms.
  • Monsoon: Heavy rains that are associated with the heating of land and sea.
  • Zylon: A range of liquid-crystal polymers. Has a tensile strength 1.6 times that of Kevlar.  
  • Anaconda: Semi-aquatic, muscular snakes that typically kill by choking their prey.
  • Musk Ox: Herbivorous mammals that live in the arctic. They can charge, using their huge bulk as a defensive weapon.
  • Black Mamba Venom: Black mambas are the fastest snakes in the world. They are also aggressive with extremely strong venom that can kill an adult human in 30 minutes.
  • Jaguar: A big cat with extremely powerful jaws. It has the third highest bite force amongst big cats.
  • Crocodile: Crocodiles have the highest bite force ever measured, with almost 4 times the bite strength of lions, tigers and hyenas.
  • Tasmanian Devil: A small, ferocious mammal with the most powerful bite relative to body size.
  • Honey Badger: Honey badgers have strong attack and defence. They have thick and loose hide, which is great protection against biting, stinging and claws. They can keep fighting for hours without getting tired and have sharp claws and teeth.
  • Polar Bear: The largest bears on Earth. They are powerful predators and strong swimmers.
  • Hyena: Carnivorous mammals that hunt and kill in packs. They have a bite force approximately equal to that of lions and tigers.
  • Lion: A large, muscular mammal with a strong bite force.
  • Coconut Crab: Coconut Crabs have a grip that is 10 times stronger than humans. They have large claws that can lift up to 28 kilograms (7 times their body weight) and crack coconuts open.
  • Chimpanzees: Strong and fast primates that can easily overpower humans. They are four times as strong as a human of similar size.
  • Orca: Also commonly known as killer whales. They can take down large animals like whales and sea lions, and are one of the fastest marine mammals.
  • Tyvek: A nonwoven material that is durable and lightweight.
  • Vanadium: A hard, malleable metal with a silvery grey colour.
  • Lutetium: A metal with silvery-white colouring and a very high Brinell hardness (a rating using the Brinell scale).
  • Zirconium: A metal that is malleable and very strong.
  • Tantalum: A metal with a very high tensile strength.
  • Rubber: Also known as natural rubber or latex. A material that is stretchy, waterproof and highly resilient.  
  • Plastic: A synthetic material that can be molded. Depending on the thickness, it can be rigid or flexible, is waterproof, can bear a lot of weight, and takes a long time to break down.  
  • Canvas: Known for being a durable, tough fabric. Used in applications where durability and strength is important – as boat sails, backpack material, and painting surfaces.  
  •  Nylon: A lightweight fabric that is strong enough to be used to make parachutes and hot air balloons.   
  • Denim: A fabric known for strength and durability.  
  • Public Safety Building, Salt Lake City (Utah):  This building is designed to endure and remain operational through a 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
  • Kansai International Airport: This building can withstand earthquakes, typhoons and storm surges.  
  • Akashi Kaikyo Bridge: The longest suspension bridge in the world. It can take strong winds, an 8.5 magnitude earthquake, and harsh sea currents.  
  • Shanghai Tower: The tallest building in China. It is 2073 feet tall and can withstand typhoon-level winds.  
  • CCTV Building, Beijing, China: Can withstand 8 magnitude earthquakes. 
  • One World Trade, New York: The tallest building in the Western hemisphere and one that can withstand strong winds and ground-based explosions and attacks.  
  • Torre Mayor, Mexico City: A 738 ft tall building that can stand earthquakes of 8.5 magnitude.
  • Scaffolding: A sturdy temporary structure used in the construction of buildings.   
  • Bitter Melon: Also known as bitter apple, bitter gourd, bitter squash and balsam-pear. Has a strong, sharp, bitter taste.  
  • Chocolate: Chocolate with over 70% cocoa tends to have a strong, bitter flavour.
  • Coffee: If a coffee has high caffiene content, it is described as strong (both in taste and in stimulant effect).  
  • Chilli: Spicy fruits used to add heat to food. They vary in intensity and can be very painful to ingest.
  • Stinky Tofu: Fermented Chinese tofu with a powerful odor.  
  • Bacardi 151: A discontinued rum with a 75.5% alcohol content.  
  • Sunset Rum: A powerful rum with 84.5% alcohol content.  
  • Balkan 176 Vodka: A Bulgarian vodka with 88% alcohol content.  
  • Pincer Shanghai Strength: Despite the name, this is a Scottish liquor with 88% alcohol content.  
  • Absinthe: Famously known for its high alcohol content with an alcohol content that ranges from 45-74%.  
  • River Antoine Royale Grenadian Rum: A rum with 75% alcohol.
  • The Zombie: A powerful cocktail that involves lots of rum with a high proof.  
  • Long Island Iced Tea: A strong cocktail mix that includes tequila, rum, gin and Cointreau.  
  • Death in the Afternoon: A strong drink made of absinthe and champagne.  
  • Negroni: A cocktail made of gin, campari and vermouth.  
  • Bone-Dry Martini: A martini that has been mixed with vermouth.  
  • Aunt Roberta: A mix of brandy, vodka, absinthe, gin and blackberry liquer. Considered the strongest cocktail in the world with no mixers (100% alcohol). 
  • Corpse Reviver No. 2:  A mix of dry gin, triple sec liquer and absinthe.
  • Four Hoursemen No. 3: A mix of bourbon, whiskey, scotch and tequila.        
  • Femur: The strongest bone in the human body. 
  • Hip: The strongest joint in the human body.    
  • Masseter: The jaw muscle which closes the jaw while chewing.  
  • Soleus: The muscle that rotates the ankle.  
  • Gluteus Maximus: The main hip muscle. The largest of the three gluteal muscles.  
  • Uterus: The uterus is capable of exerting the strongest force of any muscle in the body. 

We hope this list of strong things was useful and that you found what you needed!

We did our best to cover all of the varied meanings of “strong” with our visual gallery of strong things and descriptive list. But if you feel there’s something we missed, please feel free to let us know and leave a comment.

Thank you for visiting Thing Database!