1
as in formidable
causing fear
at night the child would always imagine that there were fearsome monsters lurking under his bed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
after working all afternoon in the hot sun, I had developed a fearsome thirst
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in timid
easily frightened
the more fearsome of the two children would only peer at the guests from a distance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fearsome
The Clinic, first published as a pamphlet in 1998, was named in honor of the London Clinic, where Pinochet was held after his arrest, reflecting an effort to show the formerly fearsome dictator as an old man in decline.
—
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Mar. 2026
The fort stood high above the river, where fearsome artillery was able to turn back the Union gunboats that had pounded low-lying Fort Henry into submission.
—Bill Steiden, Des Moines Register, 24 Mar. 2026
Donica, across from her, is on sturdier ground, fearsome to the point of awe-inspiring in the sustained fury of his fermatas, though his considerable force as a performer longs to be shaped more cleanly.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
Redemption for Okonkwo came on Friday via two stunning saves, first to deny Championship top scorer Zan Vipotnik one-on-one and then beat away a fearsome Marko Stamenic volley.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Mar. 2026
The fort stood high above the river, where fearsome artillery was able to turn back the Union gunboats that had pounded low-lying Fort Henry into submission.
—Bill Steiden, Des Moines Register, 24 Mar. 2026
Donica, across from her, is on sturdier ground, fearsome to the point of awe-inspiring in the sustained fury of his fermatas, though his considerable force as a performer longs to be shaped more cleanly.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
Redemption for Okonkwo came on Friday via two stunning saves, first to deny Championship top scorer Zan Vipotnik one-on-one and then beat away a fearsome Marko Stamenic volley.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearsome
Adjective
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Yahoo will be competing against a familiar foil in Google, which remains the same formidable force that spelled the company's demise 20 years ago and has been progressively layering more AI into its search engine with its Gemini technology.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Then finding the players who can execute them has made UConn the sport’s most formidable force.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For the seventh year in a row, Walmart captured more money from Charlotte-area shoppers than any other grocery store, despite intense competition from local grocers like Harris Teeter and Food Lion.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
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Graves’ exit has sparked intense speculation about his potential successor to represent Missouri’s 6th Congressional District, which stretches across northern Missouri and touches Kansas City’s Northland.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Their smaller counterparts, alpacas, are more timid and shy, but the more independent ones that aren't afraid to be away from the herd do well as therapy animals.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
22 Mar. 2026
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Jerusalem, timid about the prospect of a land invasion, can only respond with more airstrikes until the regime hits its breaking point and the people rise up.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The terrifying cadence of airstrikes shapes daily life in Tehran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Nothing except getting into fierce arguments with fellow-Jews, some would say, which Olitzky—who has a round, boyish face and a conciliatory manner—portrayed as a privilege rather than a burden.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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With one-of-a-kind offerings from the likes of Inglenook, Crocker & Starr, Amici Cellars, Peju, Long Meadow Ranch, and a collaboration between Dakota Shy and Detert Family Vineyards, bidding was fierce on Cabernet Franc.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Wallner and second baseman Luke Keaschall had a scary collision in the eighth inning on a pop fly to right by Salvador Perez that Keaschall caught.—
David Brown,
Twin Cities,
30 Mar. 2026
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Especially one that features Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, Nazem Kadri, Brock Nelson, Val Nichushkin and Nicolas Roy, all at the same time, a legitimately scary roster that goes four lines and two goaltenders deep.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The idea of frightening children into basic courtesy scares Miss Manners.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
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Facing the future may mean confronting difficult questions and frightening scenarios.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These are the military's most elite forces, who have undergone intensive physical and technical training for this type of mission.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Radar works in these conditions but is power-intensive for small drones.—
Nitin Sanket,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fearsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearsome. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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