fearsome

adjective

fear·​some ˈfir-səm How to pronounce fearsome (audio)
1
a
: causing fear
a fearsome monster
b
: intense, extreme
fearsome determination
2
fearsomely adverb
fearsomeness noun

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

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

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fearsome was in 1768

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.

Kids Definition

fearsome

adjective
fear·​some ˈfi(ə)r-səm How to pronounce fearsome (audio)
1
: causing fear
2
: timid
fearsomely adverb
fearsomeness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fearsome

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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