formidable
[ fawr-mi-duh-buhl, fawr-mid-uh-buhl ]
/ ˈfɔr mɪ də bəl, ˌfɔrˈmɪd ə bəl /
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.
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Origin of formidable
1400–50; late Middle English <French <Latin formīdābilis causing fear, equivalent to formīd- (stem of formīdāre to fear) + -ābilis-able
SYNONYMS FOR formidable
OTHER WORDS FROM formidable
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH formidable
formative, formidable .Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for formidable
The barbed-wire entanglements were deep, in keeping with the formidability of the German trench system.
British Dictionary definitions for formidable
formidable
/ (ˈfɔːmɪdəbəl) /
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 forms of formidable
formidability or formidableness, nounformidably, adverbWord Origin for formidable
C15: from Latin formīdābilis, from formīdāre to dread, from formīdō fear
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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