formidable

[ fawr-mi-duh-buhl, fawr-mid-uh-buhl ]
See synonyms for formidable on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. causing fear, apprehension, or dread: a formidable opponent.

  2. of discouraging or awesome strength, size, difficulty, etc.; intimidating: a formidable problem.

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

  2. of great strength; forceful; powerful: formidable opposition to the proposal.

Origin of formidable

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from French, from Latin formīdābilis “causing fear,” from formīd(āre) “to fear” + -ābilis -able

Other words for formidable

Opposites for formidable

Other words from formidable

  • 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

Words that may be confused with formidable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for formidable

formidable

/ (ˈfɔːmɪdəbəl) /


adjective
  1. arousing or likely to inspire fear or dread

  2. extremely difficult to defeat, overcome, manage, etc: a formidable problem

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

Origin of formidable

1
C15: from Latin formīdābilis, from formīdāre to dread, from formīdō fear

Derived forms of formidable

  • formidability or formidableness, noun
  • formidably, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012