FORMIDABLE Synonyms: 162 Similar and Opposite Words

formidable

adjective

ˈfȯr-mə-də-bəl

Definition of formidable

as in terrifying

causing fear a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in difficult

requiring considerable physical or mental effort running a marathon is a formidable undertaking

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 formidable The governor has his own formidable national fundraising base — thanks in good part to his online trolling and anti-Trump hijinks — and a not-small degree of name recognition across the country. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 Flores is writing new code on how to build a formidable defense, one that disguises blitzes that apply pressure from all angles. — Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026 DeFoe has very limited experience fishing at Lake Hamilton, but his partner Gill is one of the most formidable specialists with forward-facing sonar. — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026 Both EVs share a formidable powertrain specced for serious performance, and feature futuristic styling that wouldn't be out of place in a cyberpunk future. — New Atlas, 26 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for formidable

Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable

Adjective

As an actress, a character like that was thrilling and terrifying.

— William Earl, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Alas, Hersh was to miss the flight because he was still being held hostage, starving, tortured, and surviving on that date in terrifying confinement.

— Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Time, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of terrifying

Adjective

Finding people at high risk of incubating the Bundibugyo virus, also known as contact tracing, has proved difficult in Congo.

— CONSTANT SAME BAGALWA, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
McKinsey’s data says some of those moves can be difficult for certain workers.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of difficult

Adjective

Josh, much of the social media conversation around people seeing The Odyssey in theaters was about the frightening Other Mommy trailer playing ahead of it.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
My Broken Brain follows three young survivors through the most frightening days of their lives and the grueling journey back to independence.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of frightening

Adjective

Until now, scientists could measure the total phosphorus preserved in ancient rocks, but determining the share that was actually available to marine life remained challenging.

— Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Alas, its path appears quite challenging, given that Digger earned a C+ CinemaScore from audiences and holds a 51 percent approval from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

— Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of challenging

Adjective

Now, Germino says her social media presence is all about giving other patients going through the same tough decision an example of someone who’s thriving after the procedure.

— Kara McGrath, Allure, 6 Oct. 2026
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's administration is about to start tough budget negotiations against a backdrop of division and economic turmoil.

— Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Platforms prefill a name, email and phone number so a user can submit in one tap without leaving the feed, which is wonderful for a consumer promotion and terrible for a six-figure investment.

— Jonathan Durante, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Saddled with terrible reviews and negative word-of-mouth, Tom Cruise‘s absurdist dark comedy has cratered at the box office with $8 million in North America and $20 million globally in its first weekend of release.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of terrible

Adjective

The list takes months to compile, with multiple steps and checks designed to ensure the ranking is rigorous and consistent.

— Kelli Grant, CFP®,Riley de León, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
With rigorous reporting and more than 150 interviews with those working for the US’ most influential AI companies, technology journalist Roose covers Silicon Valley’s breakneck race to build artificial general intelligence.

— Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of rigorous

Browse Nearby Words

formidability

formidable

forming

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“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of formidable

adjective

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