1
as in formidable
causing fear
at night the child would always imagine that there were fearsome monsters lurking under his bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
The strength in depth in the league is absolutely fearsome, but this doesn’t always translate into good football.
—
Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 24 May 2026
With Krypto’s life hanging in the balance, Supergirl/Kara Zor-El embarks on an adventure that pits her against Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts) — not exactly a fearsome villain name.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 May 2026
There is brief discussion of poison, and at one point, a fearsome butcher holds a knife.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Thomas took early notice of Bonitto, who’s now with the Denver Broncos but back then was a fearsome Sooners linebacker.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 24 May 2026
With Krypto’s life hanging in the balance, Supergirl/Kara Zor-El embarks on an adventure that pits her against Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts) — not exactly a fearsome villain name.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 May 2026
There is brief discussion of poison, and at one point, a fearsome butcher holds a knife.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Thomas took early notice of Bonitto, who’s now with the Denver Broncos but back then was a fearsome Sooners linebacker.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearsome
Adjective
-
The Cuban military, once a formidable expeditionary force during Cold War campaigns in Africa, now struggles with chronic fuel shortages, aging equipment, limited mobility and poor readiness, Pérez said.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
-
The elder Jackson, one of Chicago’s most famous civil rights icons, died in February and left his formidable organization to his son Yusef.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Russia had vowed more intense attacks and warned foreign diplomats to abandon Kyiv.—
Elmira Aliieva,
NBC news,
3 June 2026
-
That funding faced intense scrutiny from a handful of Republicans, prompting senators to abandon it.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Chances of Musk becoming the world’s first trillionaire were timid when the markets first opened on Kalshi.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
-
Your favorite team probably doesn’t use them much, if at all, because they’re considered extremely difficult and most GMs are timid babies who are afraid of getting yelled at.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
And Kyle Busch himself won his first Cup championship in 2015 after suffering a broken right leg and a broken left ankle in a terrifying crash at Daytona.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
-
Robertson plays a beautiful rising but troubled Hollywood starlet who accepts what appears to be the perfect secluded retreat, only to uncover a terrifying web of secrets connected to the property’s mysterious caretaker and the haunting legacy hidden deep within its walls.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Reddit is home to many of Civilization VII’s fiercest critics, but Test of Time also appears to be well received there, too.—
Barry Collins,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
She will be remembered for her loving generosity, fierce opinions, endless curiosity, unique style, and her powdered, almond, crescent cookies at Christmas, hence her name, Auntie Cookie.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Anyone who’s witnessed the performing animatronics at a Showbiz Pizza can tell you the scariest pop culture of all is the kind made for children.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Her scary reputation has become a recurring theme this season, and for good reason.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Boroughs is not a frightening show, monster snack-time portrayals notwithstanding.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
-
The father of two and community activist said the encounters can range from embarrassing and annoying to downright frightening.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
For Paul, dragging long sheets of metal was intensive.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
Distillation is a process in which a small, less resource-intensive model learns to mimic a large, expensive one.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fearsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearsome. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
