fearsome

[ feer-suh m ]

/ ˈfɪər səm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR fearsome ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

causing fear: a fearsome noise.

causing awe or respect: a fearsome self-confidence.

afraid; timid.

Nearby words

fearful, fearfully, fearless, fearlessly, fearnought, fearsome, fearsomely, feasance, feasibility study, feasible, feast

Origin of fearsome

First recorded in 1760–70; fear + -some¹

Related forms

fear·some·ly, adverbfear·some·ness, noun

Can be confused

fearful fearsome

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fearsome

Gus Connolly, a broad middle-aged man with a thick red beard, was working at the Games dressed as a fearsome Scottish warrior.
Scots Must Choose Heart or Head|Nico Hines|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The tiger is one of the most fearsome predators of the animal kingdom.
Viral Video of the Day: International Tiger Day|Jack Holmes|July 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On more than one occasion, Stallworth undercuts the image of Grand Wizard David Duke as a fearsome figure.
Speed Read: A Black Cop Infiltrates The KKK|William O’Connor|May 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She missed the rampant spying on its own citizens by the fearsome FSB.
How to Justify Russian Aggression|Michael Moynihan|March 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The former Arkansas governor called for a military so "fearsome" that "no one dares poke it."
Mike Huckabee Wins the Crowd at CPAC|Olivia Nuzzi|March 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Questions, exclamations, fearsome gasps and excited advice all tripped pell-mell from the girls.
The Orchard Secret|Cleo Garis
Carry home this fearsome green mummy on the leaf; put him in a cage made of wire screen, and watch him.
Trees Every Child Should Know|Julia Ellen Rogers
Of all the fearsome beasts beneath the sun The Bugbear is the most appalling one.
A Phenomenal Fauna|Carolyn Wells
He had a very dark, fearsome face, and a gleam in his eyes that comes back to me in my dreams.
Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes|Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
In truth she held a fearsome admiration for the man, and then she stiffened.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux

British Dictionary definitions for fearsome

fearsome

/ (ˈfɪəsəm) /

adjective

frightening

timorous; afraid

Derived Forms

fearsomely, adverbfearsomeness, noun

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

fearsome

adjective

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of fearsome

Related forms

Can be confused

Examples from the Web for fearsome

British Dictionary definitions for fearsome

fearsome

adjective

Derived Forms