1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
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2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is a formidable undertaking
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of formidable
China is an increasingly formidable rival on this front.
—
L. Rafael Reif, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
Pluto — Lord of the Underworld and the planet of death, rebirth and transformation — is a formidable force.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 3 May 2025
Effa Manley, in addition to serving as the team’s business manager, was a formidable social rights advocate whose impact extended far beyond baseball.
—Lauren Coates, Variety, 1 May 2025
In conversation, Lee is grizzled and gregarious, quick to cackle, and prone to starry-eyed digressions about music’s overwhelming power and his partner’s formidable songwriting chops.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
L. Rafael Reif, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
Pluto — Lord of the Underworld and the planet of death, rebirth and transformation — is a formidable force.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 3 May 2025
Effa Manley, in addition to serving as the team’s business manager, was a formidable social rights advocate whose impact extended far beyond baseball.
—Lauren Coates, Variety, 1 May 2025
In conversation, Lee is grizzled and gregarious, quick to cackle, and prone to starry-eyed digressions about music’s overwhelming power and his partner’s formidable songwriting chops.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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The family eventually crosses paths with a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz), his sheriff (Colin Hanks) and a terrifying crime boss (Sharon Stone) before chaos ensues.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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The additional terrifying factor was that the plane had only three minutes of fuel left — and Cruise had still not gotten up.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Two of Elissa’s tumors were obliterated that day, but the third was too difficult to reach without repositioning Elissa’s body in a way that would have taken too much time under anesthesia.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
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Luca Solca sector head for global luxury goods at Bernstein Clouding the picture further, many other premium Swiss watchmakers including Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, are privately owned, making their performance difficult to decipher.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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These frightening and repulsive actions represent the most significant breach on our Capitol in over two hundred years.—
Sonam Sheth
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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Mellencamp's frightening diagnosis, though, hasn't stopped her resolve.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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On one hand, the problem makes a manager’s life more challenging by limiting a team’s available options to potentially finish a close game.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
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Saving for retirement has become more challenging for many reasons.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Every celebrity — no matter how small — had at least one stalker or someone obsessed with them, and no fan was creepier or scarier than the ones obsessed with child stars.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
14 May 2025
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Here’s a scary scenario: You’ve been put in charge of air traffic control at Newark airport near New York.—
Steve Nadis,
Quanta Magazine,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Last year’s drought conditions that extended into late fall combined with very windy winter conditions and frozen soils were tough for some evergreens.—
Pamm Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
10 May 2025
-
Federal judges have so far been skeptical of the Trump administration’s past efforts to use extraordinary powers to make deportations easier, and that could make suspending habeas corpus even tougher.—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Transgender kids, especially under the current president, are facing terrible rights losses and bigotry.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2025
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Such legislation is meant to destabilize Pakistan’s internal politics, which is in no one’s interests, except those who promoted such a terrible idea in the first place.—
Christopher Shays,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Digital forensics demands rigorous methodology to ensure evidence integrity and reliable findings.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
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Members have included figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin and Martin Luther King Jr. New members are chosen through a rigorous nomination and election process, according to the academy.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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