formidable

adjective

ˈfȯr-mə-də-bəl How to pronounce formidable (audio)
Definition of formidablenext
1
as in terrifying
causing fear a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 In that touching moment, Rob-Will, the son of formidable family ranch owner Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening), hugs his daughter tenderly. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Comcast also recognized value in theme parks and invested heavily, building Universal Studios as a formidable rival to Disney. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 Sony Interactive Entertainment, the largest video game company in the world by direct revenue, will reportedly cease production of physical discs for its formidable library of games for the PlayStation console. — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 2 July 2026 Rip currents are formidable natural forces, but knowing how to react can significantly increase your chances of safely navigating these challenging waters. — Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
  1. terrifying
  2. difficult
  3. frightening
  4. challenging
  5. scary
  6. tough
  7. terrible
  8. rigorous
Adjective
  • But getting that fissile material off the launchpad safely remains a terrifying engineering hurdle.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
  • After Weyland-Yutani’s spaceship collides with Prodigy City, Wendy and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 9 July 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • Her protectiveness of the island stretches back years, in part because Nantucket saved her, in a way, during a difficult time in her life.
    — Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • In the book, Hollis asks Gigi to stay after a difficult conversation about the affair.
    — Max Gao, Variety, 11 July 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • Obviously there’s day to day stuff but to me, that’s just another frightening thing about being trapped in a system.
    — Caroline Reilly, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Cortlandt Koerwitz/Instagram A family's Fourth of July outing took a frightening turn when a bear charged at a father outside his Lake Tahoe vacation home after startling his daughters.
    — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of frightening
Adjective
  • These renovations have made Bliss Matcha & Beyond’s move less challenging, according to Gorski.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2026
  • Ahead of a challenging midterm election, Republicans have seized an opportunity to castigate their opponents as extremists after democratic socialists won recent Democratic congressional primaries in New York and Colorado.
    — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Definition of challenging
Adjective
  • Some of them are scary, but some of them, harnessed correctly, might help us with some very human problems that pre-date the emergence of the LLM.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • But, if people have been suffering from the elevated air temperatures, the really scary numbers come from the ocean sensors.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
Definition of scary
Adjective
  • The talks are meant to focus on the toughest matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Patrick Cantlay made a little noise in an otherwise quiet year for the American with five birdies in 10 holes and then a collection of tough par saves at the end that felt just as valuable.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • With all the terrible news of layoffs and that the games industry is in a dire state, some people online have said a crash is the only way to fix things.
    — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • With Te Fiti gone, a terrible darkness began slowly taking hold of the islands and their surrounding waters.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • Any new toll roads would have to make practical sense and survive rigorous feasibility studies.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026
  • Every personal finance article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of financial products.
    — Liz Knueven, CNBC, 10 July 2026
Definition of rigorous

Browse Nearby Words

formidability
formidable
forming
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Cite this Entry

“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on formidable

Nglish: Translation of formidable for Spanish Speakers

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