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long suit

long suit

5.3
A skill or area where a person is very good
  • noun
translation icon : fortaleza
  • Public speaking is not his long suit, but he excels at writing.

Examples

  • Her ability to communicate is her long suit.

  • Time management is not my long suit.

  • Her long suit has always been creative problem-solving.

  • Teamwork proved to be the company's long suit during the project.

  • Her long suit has always been creative problem-solving.

  • Public speaking is not his long suit, but he excels at writing.

  • Her ability to communicate effectively is her long suit in the workplace.

Synonyms

strength
vslong suit
336 2.8

A skill or quality someone has that helps them do well

means specifically a skill or area where someone excels
specialty
vslong suit
  • US
205 4.3

An area of work or study that someone knows a lot about

is used more for a personal strong skill than a formal field
strong suit
vslong suit
  • Informal
30 4.4

A skill or area that a person is very good at

is the everyday idiomatic way to say the same thing
forte
vslong suit
22 5.7

A skill or activity someone is very good at

is the more neutral common phrase compared with this formal term
strong point
vslong suit
19 3.4

Something a person does very well

is the neutral general expression for that same advantage
metier
vslong suit
1 9.9

A type of work or skill someone does best

focuses on a general skill or strong point rather than work type
strongpoint
vslong suit
4.1

A thing a person or team does especially well

applies specifically to a person's skill rather than to things

Antonyms

133 1.4

Lack of physical or mental strength that makes someone less able to act

How Strong

strength
336 2.8
long suit
5.3
ability
1.0
competence
69 4.1
weakness
133 1.4

Surface Forms

long suit singular
long suits plural

Morphology

long + suit

The sense 'a strong point' does not follow directly from the literal constituents: 'long' (length/large) and 'suit' (a card suit or clothing). The idiom comes from card-play (having a 'long suit' = many cards in one suit, an advantage), a historical/metaphorical link that is not obvious to a B1 learner who only knows the basic meanings, so the overall meaning is unpredictable from the parts.

Etymology

Long suit comes from the card idea that a suit that is long is a strength in the game because you have many cards there, so people began using long suit to mean a person's 'strong point' or 'skill'.