redoubtable

American  

[ri-dou-tuh-buhl] / rɪˈdaʊ tə bəl /

adjective

1. that is to be feared; formidable.

2. commanding or evoking respect, reverence, or the like.

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redoubtable British  

/ rɪˈdaʊtəbəl /

adjective

1. to be feared; formidable

2. worthy of respect

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Other Word Forms

• redoubtableness noun
• redoubtably adverb

Etymology

Origin of redoubtable

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English redoutable, from Middle French, equivalent to redout(er) “to fear” ( re- re- + douter “to fear, doubt” ) + -able “be capable of”; doubt, -able

Explanation

Redoubtable means honorable, maybe even intimidatingly so. If your grandmother worked tirelessly to raise four kids on her own and started her own taxi cab business and to this day, keeps all of her cabbies in line, she is without a doubt redoubtable. The adjective redoubtable traces back to the French word redute, meaning "to dread," a combination of the prefix re-, which adds emphasis, and duter, which means "to doubt." But it isn't the redoubtable person that you doubt — it's yourself or your ability to compete against or be compared to him or her. That's where the dread comes in. But you can learn a lot from and be inspired by redoubtable people, if you can just get over being afraid of them.

Example Sentences

Jackson’s way with words was always redoubtable, as was his comedic timing.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2026

Saka, on the fifth anniversary of his senior Arsenal debut, was particularly redoubtable despite being frequently fouled.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2023

One was Tim Moore, the redoubtable Republican speaker of the state House.

From New York Times • Jul. 30, 2023

For example, “Guilty Creatures: A Menagerie of Mysteries,” edited by the redoubtable Martin Edwards, assembles stories in which the crime involves some kind of animal.

From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2022

Each day at lunchtime we were permitted to sit outside in the spacious garden of a neighboring vicarage where we were supplied with a meal cooked by the redoubtable Mrs. Thayanagee Pillay and her friends.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela