formidable
Americanadjective
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causing fear, apprehension, or dread.
a formidable opponent.
- Antonyms:
- pleasant
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of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty, etc.; intimidating.
a formidable problem.
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arousing feelings of awe or admiration because of grandeur, strength, etc.
-
of great strength; forceful; powerful.
formidable opposition to the proposal.
adjective
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arousing or likely to inspire fear or dread
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extremely difficult to defeat, overcome, manage, etc
a formidable problem
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tending to inspire awe or admiration because of great size, strength, excellence, etc
Other Word Forms
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formidabilitynoun
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formidablenessnoun
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nonformidabilitynoun
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nonformidablenessnoun
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superformidablenessnoun
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unformidablenessnoun
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nonformidableadjective
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quasi-formidableadjective
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superformidableadjective
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unformidableadjective
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formidablyadverb
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nonformidablyadverb
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quasi-formidablyadverb
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superformidablyadverb
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unformidablyadverb
Etymology
Origin of formidable
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from French, from Latin formīdābilis “causing fear,” from formīd(āre) “to fear” + -ābilis -able
Explanation
People who are formidable inspire fear and respect thanks to their size, or special ability, or unusual qualities. If you're a wildly popular celebrity, you probably don't go anywhere without a formidable bodyguard. What's interesting about formidable is that we often tend to use it about things that are simultaneously scary and impressive. A formidable opponent is almost by definition a worthy one; a formidable challenge is almost by definition one worth rising to. Not surprisingly, this word is derived from the Latin formidare, "to fear."
Vocabulary lists containing formidable
List 3
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Words from "The Avengers"
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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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.
Instead of proposing Waddingham as a Bond co-star, she’s the expertly skilled agent flanked by a best friend with an equally formidable intellect – the Moneypenny to her 007.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
JSERRA: Lions will be competitive in nonleague games but Trinity League remains formidable challenge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Orcas are among the ocean's most intelligent and formidable predators.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
Here is the voice of a new species created by the Revolution, at once mundane, formidable and distinctly American.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
He could wield five swords at once—four hands and the prehensile tip of his tail—and was so formidable and agile and huge that his adversaries would often drop their weapons and call a truce.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
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.
