formidable
Americanadjective
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causing fear, apprehension, or dread.
a formidable opponent.
- Antonyms:
- pleasant
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of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty, etc.; intimidating.
a formidable problem.
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arousing feelings of awe or admiration because of grandeur, strength, etc.
-
of great strength; forceful; powerful.
formidable opposition to the proposal.
adjective
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arousing or likely to inspire fear or dread
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extremely difficult to defeat, overcome, manage, etc
a formidable problem
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tending to inspire awe or admiration because of great size, strength, excellence, etc
Other Word Forms
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formidabilitynoun
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formidablenessnoun
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nonformidabilitynoun
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nonformidablenessnoun
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superformidablenessnoun
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unformidablenessnoun
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nonformidableadjective
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quasi-formidableadjective
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superformidableadjective
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unformidableadjective
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formidablyadverb
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nonformidablyadverb
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quasi-formidablyadverb
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superformidablyadverb
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unformidablyadverb
Etymology
Origin of formidable
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from French, from Latin formīdābilis “causing fear,” from formīd(āre) “to fear” + -ābilis -able
Explanation
People who are formidable inspire fear and respect thanks to their size, or special ability, or unusual qualities. If you're a wildly popular celebrity, you probably don't go anywhere without a formidable bodyguard. What's interesting about formidable is that we often tend to use it about things that are simultaneously scary and impressive. A formidable opponent is almost by definition a worthy one; a formidable challenge is almost by definition one worth rising to. Not surprisingly, this word is derived from the Latin formidare, "to fear."
Vocabulary lists containing formidable
List 3
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Words from "The Avengers"
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Masterful architects of broad political philosophies, brilliant purveyors of partisan feeling—the New Deal and the Reagan Revolution were among our most formidable vote-getting movements—Roosevelt and Reagan were also pragmatists skilled in the art of governance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026
In flag football, she catches passes and helps JSerra’s formidable defense.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
El-Sayed supporters rubbed shoulders with left-leaning influencers and union activists, a group that lent El-Sayed their formidable campaign infrastructure to reach Michigan's large organized labor community.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
Ashton’s marvelous suite of solo, duet and group dances to melodious selections of orchestral music by Alexander Glazunov—here lush, there tinkling—presented the company’s two different casts of seven couples with formidable opportunities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
The only bridge was a formidable one of wood and stone several hundred yards downstream.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
