fearsomely
adverb
fearsomeness
noun
Synonyms
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 Rafael Peralta is a fearsome presence: five hundred and nine feet long, armed with some ninety-six missiles.
—
Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
Even the most casual student of the Silk Road, that fearsome, wondrous network of routes that people began plying in the second century B.C. (and did so for approximately the next 1,600 years) knows that the two — business and God, whoever or whatever your god was — often intermingled.
—Hanya Yanagihara, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
The brawny mill, which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, produces a fearsome 505 hp and 347 ft lbs of torque.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2023
Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel has laid bare an uncomfortable truth: The fearsome reputation of the Israeli military, like that of Israeli intelligence services, may be overdue for a revision.
—Andrew Exum, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2023
However, the shark species' fearsome reputation did not detract golfers from Carbrook.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023
The monthlong event, featuring twilight ghost tours, haunted pub crawls and witch trial re-enactments, triggers traffic gridlock so fearsome that residents of neighboring towns steer clear of Salem as early as mid-September.
—Jenna Russell Kieran Kesner, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Those familiar with the process say the cabinet had been looking at a fearsome and shifting decision matrix.
—Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Saved Stories Imagine a contest that pits humans against lions to see which is more fearsome.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2023
See More
Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023
Even the most casual student of the Silk Road, that fearsome, wondrous network of routes that people began plying in the second century B.C. (and did so for approximately the next 1,600 years) knows that the two — business and God, whoever or whatever your god was — often intermingled.
—Hanya Yanagihara, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
The brawny mill, which is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, produces a fearsome 505 hp and 347 ft lbs of torque.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2023
Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel has laid bare an uncomfortable truth: The fearsome reputation of the Israeli military, like that of Israeli intelligence services, may be overdue for a revision.
—Andrew Exum, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2023
However, the shark species' fearsome reputation did not detract golfers from Carbrook.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023
The monthlong event, featuring twilight ghost tours, haunted pub crawls and witch trial re-enactments, triggers traffic gridlock so fearsome that residents of neighboring towns steer clear of Salem as early as mid-September.
—Jenna Russell Kieran Kesner, New York Times, 29 Oct. 2023
Those familiar with the process say the cabinet had been looking at a fearsome and shifting decision matrix.
—Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Saved Stories Imagine a contest that pits humans against lions to see which is more fearsome.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fearsome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
First Known Use
1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Dictionary Entries Near fearsome
Cite this Entry
“Fearsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fearsome. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
fearsome
adjective
fear·some
ˈfi(ə)r-səm 
1
: causing fear
2
: timid
fearsomely
adverb
fearsomeness
noun
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