formidable

[fawr-mi-duh-buhl, fawr-mid-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. causing fear, apprehension, or dread.

   a formidable opponent.

   Synonyms: horrible, frightful, fearful, menacing, threatening, appalling, dreadful
   Antonyms: pleasant

2. of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty, etc.; intimidating.

   a formidable problem.

3. arousing feelings of awe or admiration because of grandeur, strength, etc.

4. of great strength; forceful; powerful.

   formidable opposition to the proposal.

formidable

/ ˈfɔːmɪdəbəl /

adjective

1. arousing or likely to inspire fear or dread

2. extremely difficult to defeat, overcome, manage, etc

   a formidable problem

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

Other Word Forms

• formidableness noun
• formidability noun
• formidably adverb
• nonformidability noun
• nonformidable adjective
• nonformidableness noun
• nonformidably adverb
• quasi-formidable adjective
• quasi-formidably adverb
• superformidable adjective
• superformidableness noun
• superformidably adverb
• unformidable adjective
• unformidableness noun
• unformidably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of formidable¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from French, from Latin formīdābilis “causing fear,” from formīd(āre) “to fear” + -ābilis -able

Word History and Origins

Origin of formidable¹

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

Example Sentences

The pack ice again proved formidable, preventing the team from locating the Endurance in 2019.

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Alphabet Inc. has established itself as a formidable front-runner in the artificial-intelligence race.

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The party, founded by Juan and Eva Perón in the 1940s and long associated with Argentina’s welfare state, remains a formidable force but failed to mobilize disenchanted voters as inflation eased from its historic highs.

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Building a telescope on the lunar surface is a formidable task, but the timing may be right.

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Scientists believe that Khankhuuluu, or one of its relatives, crossed a land bridge into North America, where it evolved into the formidable apex predator Tyrannosaurs.

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Related Words

• awesome 
• dangerous 
• daunting 
• dire 
• dreadful 
• fierce 
• imposing 
• intimidating 
• menacing 
• terrific