fearsome

adjective

fear·​some ˈfir-səm 

1

a

: causing fear

a fearsome monster

b

: intense, extreme

fearsome determination

2

: timid, timorous

fearsomely adverb

fearsomeness noun

Synonyms of fearsome

• formidable
• terrifying
• frightening
• scary
• horrible
• terrible
• intimidating

Examples of fearsome in a Sentence

at night the child would always imagine that there were fearsome monsters lurking under his bed

after working all afternoon in the hot sun, I had developed a fearsome thirst

Recent Examples on the Web

The sandstone lintel, showing a fearsome dragon with human arms emerging from lush foliage, once adorned the entrance to an early Khmer sanctuary. —Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 June 2026

Stunts like these are common in the robotics industry, with plenty of examples of humanoids being made to perform elaborate dances, execute fearsome martial arts moves, and play other sports like basketball. —Frank Landymore, Futurism, 10 June 2026

The Norwegian scored a barely believable 16 goals in qualifying, double the number of any other player, and is arguably the most fearsome finisher of his generation. —Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 10 June 2026

Two women on opposite sides of the law, one black, one white, who come together to bring down the mob and the most fearsome mobster, Lucky Luciano. —Danielle Parker, CBS News, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

fear entry 1 + -some entry 1

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

fearsome

adjective

fear·​some ˈfi(ə)r-səm 

1

: causing fear

2

: timid

fearsomely adverb

fearsomeness noun