formidable

[ fawr-mi-duh-buhl ]

/ ˈfɔr mɪ də bəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR formidable ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Nearby words

formicarium, formicary, formicate, formication, formicivorous, formidable, formiminoglutamic acid, formless, formol, formosa, formosus

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

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

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR formidable ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR formidable

1 pleasant.

SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR formidable ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

for·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, adjective

non·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 confused

formative formidable

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

Examples from the Web for formidable

But while the obstacles to evidence-based governance are formidable, they are not insurmountable.
Can the U.S. Government Go Moneyball?|Peter Orszag, Jim Nussle|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At Michigan, he would be a formidable recruiter, able to evoke the tradition of his former iconic coach, Bo Schembechler.
Is Any College Football Coach Worth $60 Million? Jim Harbaugh Is|Jesse Lawrence|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She has been formidable from start to finish, and is one of the hardest workers in the company.
William, Kate, and Jay Z’s Favorite Art Star: Alexander Gilkes' World of Rock Stars and Royalty|Tim Teeman|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mired in ideological warfare, America faces her most formidable opponent yet— herself.
The Post-Brown and Garner Question: Who ‘Deserves’ to Die?|Goldie Taylor|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

But the settlers are a formidable constituency and felt threatened having all those Palestinians around.
Inside Hebron, Israel’s Heart of Darkness|Michael Tomasky|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The common serpent was unknown to us; but with our voices alone we managed to make a formidable noise.
Christmas Stories from French and Spanish writers|Antoinette Ogden
Of the two-shot holes, the fourth is excellent, and has a formidable second shot over a big and boarded bunker.
The Golf Courses of the British Isles|Bernard Darwin
During that year there was a formidable insurrection of the slaves in Apulia.
The History of Rome, Books 37 to the End|Titus Livius
After the giants, came the turn of land and sea monsters, who were almost as formidable as they themselves.
Myths of the Rhine|X. B. Saintine
M'tela was a formidable myth, gradually taking shape as a reality.
The Leopard Woman|Stewart Edward White

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

formidability 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