fearsome

adjective

ˈfir-səm How to pronounce fearsome (audio)
Definition of fearsomenext
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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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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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fearsome European colonists in Australia encountered a suite of venomous snakes just as fearsome as those of the Libyan desert. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026 There’s also plenty of Duncan Idaho, the fearsome warrior who died defending Paul and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson), and who has been resurrected as a ghola. — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 July 2026 Not every invasive species is as dramatic or fearsome as a Burmese python or a feral hog—but that doesn’t lessen their impact on native ecosystems. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 July 2026 Now that these lovable chaos agents are joined by all manner of fearsome, gelatinous people-eaters, parents might be wondering whether to have their youngest tykes sit this installment out. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearsome
  1. formidable
  2. intense
  3. timid
  4. terrifying
  5. fierce
  6. scary
  7. frightening
  8. intensive
Adjective
  • Anyone in the bout would make a formidable champion, but given Flair’s lengthy history with Ripley, that is the most high-profile unification bout WWE could possibly do down the road.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The episode reveals the formidable powers available to a president to target his enemies.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of formidable
Adjective
  • His plan, scheduled for a vote at the Beach commission on Wednesday after two years of often-intense debate and revision, comes in the prosaic form of a technical zoning change.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • Criticism from the political left was, predictably, swift and intense.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • Football is a physical sport, one where an athlete can’t play scared, timid, being cautious, and needs to give his all on every snap.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • Min-ji now understands more about her father’s past and motivations, and no longer sees him as a timid man who would rather bow than fight.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 27 July 2026
Definition of timid
Adjective
  • Pinnock, in particular, is at his best here, showcasing a diabolical cruelty and terrifying manipulation, elevating the story and the show to a different level.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • Here's a selection of spectacular photos of the July Buck Moon 2026 captured alongside gorgeous natural landscapes, terrifying wildfires and stunning cityscapes from around the world.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 30 July 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • Management tried to modernize a restaurant brand built around nostalgia, underestimated how strongly customers identified with its image, and eventually reversed the change after a fierce backlash.
    — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The jostling grew particularly fierce between South Carolina and Nevada.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • The Bang Bang Gang shifted momentum, but sent Clark Connors crashing onto the steel steps in a legitimately scary spot.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Video footage obtained by PEOPLE shows the scary moment the slingshot-style ride malfunctioned as one of the wires that attaches to the car appears to abruptly snap off.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
Definition of scary
Adjective
  • His solution was to ride at a frightening pace from the outset of stages, hoping to shed his rival from his back wheel — an approach that rewarded him with king of the mountains points throughout the Tour’s final week.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 July 2026
  • The most frightening scenario to many officials on both sides of the border is that the United States might use Rocha’s case as a pretext to strike Mexico.
    — Kevin Sieff, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Definition of frightening
Adjective
  • The Warrior-Scholar Project is a STEM intensive founded in 2012 at Yale and has served nearly 3,000 veterans, challenging them with up to 75 hours of academic work.
    — Francesca Pinney, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026
  • The company believes those products could support several parts of the defense manufacturing chain, particularly facilities involved in shipbuilding, advanced materials production and energy-intensive industrial operations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 July 2026
Definition of intensive

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Cite this Entry

“Fearsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearsome. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of fearsome for Spanish Speakers

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