pillar of strength
2
4.1
- noun
- Informal
:
pilar de fortaleza
- In moments of doubt, my best friend is truly a pillar of strength who lifts me up.
- pillar of strength in a community
Examples
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Weekly counseling sessions have helped me let go of my anorexia, and they have been a constant pillar of strength and support in the last difficult months.
Blog text (24) -
Nobody's expecting you to be, you know, the pillar of strength.
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Well, I am glad that you are the pillar of strength in your family.
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You are a pillar of strength.
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You were a pillar of strength.
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Eddie's really good... ...and he's my pillar of strength.
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"He's been a pillar of strength. We're with him, and he's with us."
Blog text (11) -
But I used all my tricks, and in the years when I was struggling along as one of the first women ministers, Laurence was a pillar of strength.
Fiction book (1994) -
I wouldn't put anything past this man, this former heavyweight champion... who's moved on to become a successful businessman... a prodigious builder... a respected leader... and a pillar of strength... in a community that desperately needs positive role models.
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During hard times, she has always been my pillar of strength, offering support and encouragement.
Synonyms
43
4.0
A person or thing that gives support and makes someone feel confident
21
4.5
A person who gives strong support to a group or community
12
7.6
A loyal and reliable person who supports a group
1
5.0
A person who gives strong support and comfort in hard times
1
3.5
A person or thing you can depend on for strong support
A person or thing that gives steady support in hard times
Antonyms
How Supportive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'pillar' (a support or someone who upholds) with 'strength' (power/resilience), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a person providing strong, reliable support. The metaphor of a pillar as support is cross-linguistically common and follows straightforward compositional logic rather than an arbitrary idiom.
Etymology
Pillar of strength may come from the image of a heavy stone pillar that holds up a building with great strength. So, a person called a pillar of strength is someone who quietly and firmly 'supports and comforts' others in hard times.