1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is a formidable undertaking
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of formidable
The incumbent Democratic congressman and a challenger from the same party established themselves as the most formidable candidates for the 4th District House seat heading into the June 2 primary election.
—
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
This season, Kopitar had 10 penalty minutes and tied for 23rd in fewest penalties taken per 60 minutes, despite using his formidable size, strength and defensive acumen centrally in his game.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
An especially visually striking debut, Mosquitoes exists in a saturated hyperreality that is consummately engrossing, and announces the Bertani sisters as formidable portraitists of girlhood cast against the backdrop of an alternately beautiful and oppressive world.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
With formidable bass, clear midranges, and bright treble, the earbuds really pack a punch.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
This season, Kopitar had 10 penalty minutes and tied for 23rd in fewest penalties taken per 60 minutes, despite using his formidable size, strength and defensive acumen centrally in his game.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
An especially visually striking debut, Mosquitoes exists in a saturated hyperreality that is consummately engrossing, and announces the Bertani sisters as formidable portraitists of girlhood cast against the backdrop of an alternately beautiful and oppressive world.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
With formidable bass, clear midranges, and bright treble, the earbuds really pack a punch.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
-
While Krug was alive, authorities filed search warrants with communications companies that sought information about the increasingly terrifying messages the stalker was sending her, police records show.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
-
When the show picks up, Lorcan is experiencing a strange series of nightmares centered around a terrifying rabbit-faced man, a creature pulled from Celtic mythology known as a Pooka.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Combining all of this in one material has been difficult because thermal control and signal control rely on very different properties.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
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Despite the removal of material, the architecture can result in a busy design and potentially make reading the time difficult.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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Late on against Newcastle, Rutter beat two players on the left with a frightening burst of pace and set up Minteh, only for the 21-year-old to blast over an empty net.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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Dash camera video showed the frightening moment when a wheel from a United Airlines plane slammed into a bakery delivery truck that was traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Last year, Blackstone President and COO Jon Gray also told new analysts that working hard and being collaborative are essential skills for success in today’s challenging job market.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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These Yiddish phrases have gotten me through many challenging situations.—
Gilda Dangot-Simpkin,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Just because there’s something scary down the hall, that doesn’t mean that being a good person doesn’t matter.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
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Makar took a scary hit along the boards from Foligno early in the first period.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Lightly coated with oil and tossed occasionally in a searing hot skillet or wok, even tough beans turn silky, and ready to coat in a finishing blast of chiles.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
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Comfortable travel can be achieved with stretchy, breathable pants, but securing a pair that hits those marks while looking stylish can be tough.—
Rachel Trujillo,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The delay seemed to Silva like one more indignity in a terrible series of events that began with her husband’s death in 2024.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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The logic here is peak modern NBA, and the league wants to make being slightly below average more rewarding than being truly terrible.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Every personal finance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
The process began with a rigorous study and a series of strategic partnerships.—
FMG Studios,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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