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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formidablyadverb
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nonformidabilitynoun
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nonformidableadjective
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nonformidablenessnoun
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nonformidablyadverb
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quasi-formidableadjective
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quasi-formidablyadverb
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superformidableadjective
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superformidablenessnoun
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superformidablyadverb
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unformidableadjective
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unformidablenessnoun
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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.
Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Darren Millar wished ap Iorwerth well, congratulating Plaid Cymru for its "formidable election result", which he said was a "huge achievement".
From BBC • May 12, 2026
Another reason why your Marathon Man is a formidable way to visualize your financial future: He must embody all of your experience.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
Militarily, the U.S. still has a formidable presence in the Pacific, with alliances in the region that pose a major counterweight to China’s strength.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
“It may be a backhanded way of acknowledging that she’d be quite formidable if she decided to get in.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
They were among the most formidable men in Europe, living proof of the rebirth of Florence.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Definitions 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.
