herculean strength; mighty power
Describes extraordinary physical strength or power, often in a literary or emphatic context. Can be used as a noun or adjectival noun.
He lifted the rock with herculean strength.
That medicine has a powerful effect.
mountain carrier-guide
Only when written 強力
Historical term for a person who carried goods and guided travelers in mountainous areas. Restricted to the 強力 spelling.
In the old days, mountain carrier-guides transported luggage along mountain paths.
He displayed herculean strength at the fire scene, carrying out heavy furniture.
We hired a mountain guide at the trailhead to carry our luggage.
怪力 and 強力 both describe superhuman physical strength, but 怪力 is the more common modern word while 強力 (ごうりき) has a literary, old-fashioned feel.
剛力 is a somewhat literary/old-fashioned term for a person of great physical strength, while 力持ち is the everyday, plain word for the same idea.
強力 read as ごうりき is a rare word for herculean strength or a mountain guide, while the same kanji read as きょうりょく is the everyday word meaning 'powerful' or 'strong'.
violent crime
Standard kanji spelling for both senses.
Alternate kanji form; rarely used.
Rarely used kanji form.
The reading ごうりき is a combination of 強 (strong) and 力 (power). The historical derivation of the 'mountain carrier-guide' sense is uncertain, but it may be related to the idea of great strength needed for such work.