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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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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

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 Her fearsome paradisical pieces have been flung like seed across the continents in an informal way. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026 The film fails to convey the fearsome, inexplicable beauty that Herzog clearly sees (or perhaps once saw) in this story. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026 Eggers and Depp are set to collaborate again, on Werwulf, another gothic horror film about a fearsome monster, which is expected to be released on Christmas Day, 2026. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026 Okuayinonu produced three sacks each of the past two seasons, reflecting the 49ers’ struggles to generate a fearsome pass rush, compounded last season by Nick Bosa’s Week 3 exit to a knee injury. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 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
  • The decision to construct the film around precisely five-minute takes presents a formidable formal and technical challenge.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The Gateway defense was formidable, forcing seven negative plays in the first half, including four sacks, and limited the Eagles to 12 second-half snaps and one first down.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of formidable
Adjective
  • Ukrainian officials are expecting another winter of intense Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, a tactic Moscow has employed each winter of the full-scale invasion in a bid to freeze the country into submission.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In his research for both projects, his mood boards filled up with references to periods of intense cultural flowering cut short—Weimar Germany, 1970s Iran, Cuba in the ’50s, and New York City before the AIDS crisis.
    — Sean Santiago, Architectural Digest, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of intense
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Carla receives a voice recording that proves that one of the company’s most efficient team leaders, Madame Lalouette (Carine Rouvier), has been verbally abusing the timid Madame Morel (Sandra Le Gall).
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Known for his gruff vocals, LaMontagne first came to the scene in the early aughts as a timid troubadour.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of timid
Adjective
  • He’s crafted a propulsive, simultaneously terrifying and hilarious thrill ride that showcases both his cinematic chops and perverse sense of humor.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Compounding fears was a terrifying warning from a former AI executive last week that AI could end civilization within a decade and the tech companies aren’t doing enough about it.
    — S.E. Cupp, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • Given the fierce competition to attract international productions, does SETT also represent a shift from attracting productions to supporting globally competitive Spanish companies that own intellectual property and can export it to the world?
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • In Season 3, David’s transformation from outcast shepherd to fierce warrior to chosen King is finally complete.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • The clubhouse was somewhat somber Friday afternoon, with players still feeling shaken up after witnessing one of the scariest collisions many had ever seen on a baseball field.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In Mexico, Yamel’s mother tells scary folktales to caution her against real-life dangers.
    — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of scary
Adjective
  • The subjects bring insightful detail of frightening practices, and the filmmaking helps to underline the thematic commentary of the disconnect between levels of humanity.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Como are playing some slick football under Cesc Fabregas, and while 21-year-old Nico Paz is still the shining star at the heart of every attack, Baturina has also clicked into a frightening gear.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of frightening
Adjective
  • The second cohort members are all to become part of the intensive acceleration phase that’s steered by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership innovation team, with a concentration on pilot readiness.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The inaugural Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Filmmaker Retreat, a four-day intensive program for filmmakers based in the Mid-South/South, held in partnership with Indie Media Arts South, launching October 10 – 13.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of intensive

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fears
fearsome
fearsomeness
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Cite this Entry

“Fearsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearsome. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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