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Samson

American  
[sam-suhn] / ˈsæm sən /

noun

  1. a judge of Israel famous for his great strength. Judges 13–16.

  2. any man of extraordinary physical strength.

  3. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “like the sun.”

Samson British  
/ ˈsæmsən /

noun

  1. a judge of Israel, who performed herculean feats of strength against the Philistine oppressors until he was betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah (Judges 13–16)

  2. any man of outstanding physical strength

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Samson Cultural  

  1. In the Old Testament, an Israelite servant of God who pitted his invincible strength and his wits against the Philistines on many occasions. He was eventually betrayed by his lover, the beautiful Delilah, who tricked Samson into telling her that the secret of his strength lay in his uncut hair. Delilah cut Samson's hair while he slept, and then called for the Philistines, who captured and blinded him. During his captivity, Samson's hair grew back, and he eventually pulled the Philistines' banquet hall down on their heads.

Other Word Forms

  • Samsonian adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is an option at the top of the order, in India's second Super Eights clash in Chennai on Thursday.

From Barron's

Samson was discharged from hospital the same day and the student, who was not named for legal reasons, was sentenced to 14 months detention.

From BBC

Evan Samson, general manager of Dumfries House, said the new venue would be versatile and able to host a broad range of events.

From BBC

Turns out he’s a modern-day Samson: his lack of hair was the reason he was such a soulless ghoul.

From Los Angeles Times

Samson’s self-sacrifice in defeating his Philistine enemies was used by Samuel Adams and others to illustrate the “zeal” of the Sons of Liberty.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.