for·mi·da·ble

[fawr-mi-duh-buhl]
adjective
1.
causing fear, apprehension, or dread: a formidable opponent.
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.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English < French < Latin formīdābilis causing fear, equivalent to formīd- (stem of formīdāre to fear) + -ābilis -able

for·mi·da·ble·ness, for·mi·da·bil·i·ty, noun
for·mi·da·bly, adverb
non·for·mi·da·bil·i·ty, noun
non·for·mi·da·ble, adjective
non·for·mi·da·ble·ness, noun
non·for·mi·da·bly, adverb
qua·si-for·mi·da·ble, adjective
qua·si-for·mi·da·bly, adverb
su·per·for·mi·da·ble, adjective
su·per·for·mi·da·ble·ness, noun
su·per·for·mi·da·bly, adverb
un·for·mi·da·ble, adjective
un·for·mi·da·ble·ness, noun
un·for·mi·da·bly, adverb

formative, formidable.


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


1. pleasant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
formidable (ˈfɔːmɪdəbəl) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
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
 
[C15: from Latin formīdābilis, from formīdāre to dread, from formīdō fear]
 
formida'bility
 
n
 
'formidableness
 
n
 
'formidably
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

formidable
c.1500, from M.Fr. formidable, from L. formidabilis, from formidare "to fear," from formido "terror, dread." Related: Formidably.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
But global graying offers an even more formidable challenge to less wealthy
  countries.
Gentlemen in long alpaca coats and carrying formidable marbled note-books walk
  about with an important air.
Although the bank runs have stopped, it still faces formidable challenges.
To gather its food, the beast juts out its formidable jaws to take in
  plankton-filled water.
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