formidable
Americanadjective
-
causing fear, apprehension, or dread.
a formidable opponent.
- Antonyms:
- pleasant
-
of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty, etc.; intimidating.
a formidable problem.
-
arousing feelings of awe or admiration because of grandeur, strength, etc.
-
of great strength; forceful; powerful.
formidable opposition to the proposal.
adjective
-
arousing or likely to inspire fear or dread
-
extremely difficult to defeat, overcome, manage, etc
a formidable problem
-
tending to inspire awe or admiration because of great size, strength, excellence, etc
Other Word Forms
-
formidabilitynoun
-
formidablenessnoun
-
nonformidabilitynoun
-
nonformidablenessnoun
-
superformidablenessnoun
-
unformidablenessnoun
-
nonformidableadjective
-
quasi-formidableadjective
-
superformidableadjective
-
unformidableadjective
-
formidablyadverb
-
nonformidablyadverb
-
quasi-formidablyadverb
-
superformidablyadverb
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Words from "The Avengers"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
If humanoid robots are the future, then Elon Musk faces a formidable Chinese rival.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Their midfield is formidable now, with Rice, Bruno, and Martin Odegaard to go in there, and then you have got Miles Lewis-Skelly too, almost saying "I'm still here" after the talk of him leaving.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
More than 10 million years ago, South America was home to an ecosystem filled with enormous animals and formidable predators.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
There he was stymied by the formidable governor-general of New France, the Comte de Frontenac, along with bad weather and smallpox.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Hillary Clinton was a serious and formidable opponent.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
