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

• 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

Fears quickly grew that the family might have been washed away by the fearsome sea. —Todd Symons, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025

And then there’s Morton, who entered the game against the ChiSox sitting at 199 – nine more than fearsome lefty Randy Johnson, 13 more than crafty knuckleballer Tim Wakefield and 29 more than award namesake Cy Young – thanks to four HBPs as a Tiger. —Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025

That gives the wearer a look akin to the shark's infamously fearsome dorsal fin, along with plenty of extra thrust and speed. —New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2025

All of whom flock to Monsignor Wicks, drawn by his sophistry and fearsome bully-pulpit magnetism. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025

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