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.
非力 means lacking in strength or power, the opposite of the mighty power described by 強力 (ごうりき).
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.