🗓️ Idiom: Be a Pillar of Strength (noun)
💬 Meaning
- Be someone who stays calm and supportive in difficult times.
- Provide emotional or practical strength to others when they need help.
🧠 Example Sentences
- When the team faced layoffs, Maria was a pillar of strength for everyone.
- He was a pillar of strength to the team during financial struggles.
- In stressful projects, good leaders act as a pillar of strength for their teams.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom uses the image of a strong pillar supporting a building. People began to use it to describe someone who gives support and stability to others in tough situations.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
During the crisis, our manager was a _______ for the whole company.
Answer
pillar of strength
2. Multiple choice:
If someone is a “pillar of strength,” they are:
a) Very strict with others
b) Emotionally supportive and dependable
c) Easily upset and nervous
Answer
b) Emotionally supportive and dependable
3. Change the sentence using “be a pillar of strength”:
“Sarah helped everyone stay calm and focused during the project delays.”
Answer
Sarah was a pillar of strength during the project delays.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
📚 Learning Resources
👉 Idioms for Different Types of Work Styles
👉 Business English Idioms List
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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