formidable

adjective for·mi·da·ble \ ˈfȯr-mə-də-bəl ; fȯr-ˈmi- , fər-ˈmi- \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: formidable in a Sentence

Definition of formidable

1 : causing fear, dread, or apprehension

a formidable prospect

2 : having qualities that discourage approach or attack

a formidable opponent

3 : tending to inspire awe or wonder : impressive

a formidable accomplishment

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formidability

play \ˌfȯr-mə-də-ˈbi-lə-tē; fȯr-ˌmi-, fər-ˌmi-\ noun

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formidableness

play \ˈfȯr-mə-də-bəl-nəs; fȯr-ˈmi-, fər-ˈmi-\ noun

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formidably

play \ˈfȯr-mə-də-blē; fȯr-ˈmi-, fər-ˈmi-\ adverb

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Examples of formidable in a Sentence

She was known throughout Manchester as a formidable woman, and being educated had only piled more formidability on top of what she had been born with. —Edward P. Jones, The Known World, 2003
The technology was formidable: using two and a half million rivets, 300 steeplejacks working flat out would run it up in the space of two years … —Alistair Horne, Seven Ages of Paris, 2002
Alta is reached by a hairpin road that climbs steadily upward—a ride of thirty minutes or so, depending on road and weather conditions—through some of the most formidable mountain scenery in the country. —Cynthia Zarin, New Yorker, 23 Mar. 1992
The mountains were a formidable barrier.
He has mastered a formidable amount of material.

Recent Examples of formidable from the Web

Feelings are still a little bruised after that whole Civil War thing, but everyone has to band together to fight off Thanos, who's a little more formidable than previously considered.

— bill goodykoontz, azcentral, "We rank every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from worst to best," 6 July 2018
Adding center Mike Pouncey should create a more formidable interior line along with young guards Dan Feeney and Forrest Lamp.

— lindsay h. jones, USA TODAY, "Chargers training camp questions: Room for more stars in Los Angeles?," 27 June 2018
By declining his $8.8-million option for next season, Gay gives himself the opportunity to sign elsewhere — perhaps with a more formidable championship contender — but the Spurs retain the right to pay him more than almost anyone else.

— mike finger, San Antonio Express-News, "Gay, Spurs were a perfect fit — with lousy timing," 19 June 2018
Still, some change But the Panthers' linebackers, a group that is one of the more formidable in the NFL and has retained continuity in Kuechly and veteran Thomas Davis for six seasons, now feature a new face.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "Panthers LB Luke Kuechly really misses football. How long before he can hit someone?," 12 June 2018
The new business would instantly become a much more formidable rival to Verizon and AT&T. Both companies claim that a successful merger would make the United States a leader in the formative early years of 5G mobile networks.

— chris welch, The Verge, "What a combined T-Mobile and Sprint would look like," 30 Apr. 2018
Then there’s Penn: The Quakers won the Ivy League, which had a down year but is still a more formidable conference than No.

— vahe gregorian, kansascity, "Quaker oats: Penn hoops history looms large in NCAA tourney upset culture | The Kansas City Star," 14 Mar. 2018
With 24 games remaining till the playoffs, Murray is certainly growing to become one of the more formidable young presences in the league, and the young and energetic Denver Nuggets are fortifying themselves as a Western Conference force.

— wandera hussein, Billboard, "Denver Nuggets Guard Jamal Murray Talks All-Star Weekend, the NBA Season So Far & J. Cole Fandom," 22 Feb. 2018
Thank you @SenJoniErnst, @SenMikeLee, @marcorubio for being such formidable champions for working families!

— refinery29.com, "What Ivanka Did This Week: Pavers, Protests & Paid Family Leave," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'formidable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.