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 Direct-to-Consumer Pete Distad, CEO of FOX Direct-to-Consumer, has built a strong team and has developed, launched, and grown FOX One into a formidable consumer offering. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026 And then there’s the townsfolk, who may not always be as colorful as the woman demanding free water, but who share her fair yet formidable spirit. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026 This turned out to be a formidable weapon for Democrats, many of whom made energy costs central to their campaigns. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026 Sewell will be a tough matchup for Uche to win straight up, and Miller has been formidable at right tackle, making for a solid battle against Robinson. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 5 Nov. 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
  • Robertson and Sepulveda play two friends who travel to a remote Italian village to settle a family estate, where their trip spirals into a deadly game of deception at the hands of a charming hunter with a terrifying secret (Armitage).
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2026
  • In the last two minutes of the flight, Filgueiras shifted from calmly communicating with air traffic controllers to calling out terrifying updates as the plane plummeted.
    — Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • The pilot must compensate manually using the controller, which can be difficult if the aircraft is far away or difficult to see.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The chocolatey all-suede style was first released in October 2023 and has become increasingly difficult to track down over the years, with certain sizes commanding premium prices on the secondary market.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of difficult
Adjective
  • The frightening part is that almost anyone can end up on the wrong side of these systems.
    — Edward Longe, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Sussman remembers the 1999 Glastonbury Festival as both frightening and unforgettable.
    — Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of frightening
Adjective
  • Manufacturing electronic devices from it remains difficult, particularly because reliably controlling its electrical properties through doping is challenging.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Porter knew Friday’s game would be a challenging one against the Tillers.
    — Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of challenging
Adjective
  • Detroit has a top-10 rushing defense, although that defense will be without middle linebacker Jack Campbell after a scary neck injury last week.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Thursday’s stock sell-off looked scary — but some Wall Street analysts believe the dramatic decline might be just what the stock market needed after a monthslong run-up sent shares to dizzying heights.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of scary
Adjective
  • With the balance of power in Tallahassee at stake, Miami’s Republican state senators fended off tough challenges Tuesday night, while Democratic candidates flipped several South Florida state House seats for the minority party in Florida’s capital.
    — Miami Herald staff, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Whoever wins the contest will be stepping into one of the California’s toughest political jobs.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of tough
Adjective
  • The bat lay on its back, soggy and wretched, here in the waning hours of this terrible day.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • An ugly fight between teammates during training camp was a terrible start to a season that officially began with a loss against North Carolina, a game in Dublin that TCU essentially sold, against the desires of Dykes.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • Under 1% leave during the rigorous six-month SEAL Qualification Training course, which is the final leg of the pipeline before they are assigned to a SEAL team.
    — James LaPorta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The agreement capped Iran’s uranium enrichment levels, reduced its operational centrifuge numbers, required Iran to repurpose its nuclear weapons development facilities, and established more rigorous international inspections to verify compliance.
    — S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 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 9 Nov. 2026.

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