formidable

[fawr-mi-duh-buhl]

adjective

causing fear, apprehension, or dread: a formidable opponent.

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.

Origin of formidable

1400–50; late Middle English < French < Latin formīdābilis causing fear, equivalent to formīd- (stem of formīdāre to fear) + -ābilis -able

Related formsfor·mi·da·ble·ness, for·mi·da·bil·i·ty, nounfor·mi·da·bly, adverbnon·for·mi·da·bil·i·ty, nounnon·for·mi·da·ble, adjectivenon·for·mi·da·ble·ness, nounnon·for·mi·da·bly, adverbqua·si-for·mi·da·ble, adjectivequa·si-for·mi·da·bly, adverbsu·per·for·mi·da·ble, adjectivesu·per·for·mi·da·ble·ness, nounsu·per·for·mi·da·bly, adverbun·for·mi·da·ble, adjectiveun·for·mi·da·ble·ness, nounun·for·mi·da·bly, adverb

Can be confusedformative formidable

Synonyms for formidable

1. dreadful, appalling, threatening, menacing, fearful, frightful, horrible.

Antonyms for formidable

1. pleasant.

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

Examples from the Web for formidability

Historical Examples of formidability

The barbed-wire entanglements were deep, in keeping with the formidability of the German trench system.
The Story of the Great War, Volume VIII (of VIII)
various

British Dictionary definitions for formidability

formidable

adjective

arousing or likely to inspire fear or dread

extremely difficult to defeat, overcome, manage, etca formidable problem

tending to inspire awe or admiration because of great size, strength, excellence, etc

Derived Formsformidability or formidableness, nounformidably, adverb

Word Origin for formidable

C15: from Latin formīdābilis, from formīdāre to dread, from formīdō fear

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

Word Origin and History for formidability

formidable

adj.

mid-15c., from Middle French formidable (15c.), from Latin formidabilis "causing fear, terrible," from formidare "to fear," from formido "fearfulness, fear, terror, dread." Related: Formidably.