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

Rihanna’s Navy, now lost at sea due to her complete inability to release new music, was among the most fearsome. —Choire Sicha, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025

Regardless, with your trusty pulse rifle, blasting through the horde never gets too stale, and the 'bullet-sponginess' some have criticized actually feels right for monsters that are meant to be fearsome. —Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2025

However, the Texans boast one of the NFL's most fearsome defenses. —Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025

Then, in February, the 10-day Carnival fills the streets with music, parades, and inventive costumes featuring giant handmade masks that represent fearsome creatures, which scare away winter spirits, or joyful beings celebrating their retreat, dating back to ancient pagan customs. —AFAR Media, 24 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