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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of formidable
But when danger walks in courtesy of a very large and formidable alien, Kara walks out and throws hands at the dude.
—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
The studio released the official trailer for the film on Thursday, showing Edgar-Jones as the formidable Elinor Dashwood; Esmé Creed-Miles as her excitable sister, Marianne; and Bodhi Rae Breathnach as their youngest sibling, Margaret.
—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2026
With that in mind, here are seven of the most formidable submarines operating today.
—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
Yet on July 4, our fair nation will celebrate an even more formidable birthday.
—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
The studio released the official trailer for the film on Thursday, showing Edgar-Jones as the formidable Elinor Dashwood; Esmé Creed-Miles as her excitable sister, Marianne; and Bodhi Rae Breathnach as their youngest sibling, Margaret.
—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2026
With that in mind, here are seven of the most formidable submarines operating today.
—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
23 June 2026
Yet on July 4, our fair nation will celebrate an even more formidable birthday.
—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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The full extent of the casualties and damage may not be clear for many hours, but reports and videos show extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure across the country as residents face a terrifying night in the streets.
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Then the assailant turns to face the camera; but inside a hoodie, the face is no face, just a terrifying horror movie mask.
Adjective
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Aviation experts said those conditions would have been difficult to navigate that evening when the helicopter, a Robinson R66, crashed in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area.
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But traffic on the waterway remains a fraction of pre-war levels with different authorities vying to organize the transit of vessels, leaving operators with a difficult choice over which path to take.
Adjective
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The hypocrisy is stunning, and frightening.
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Yes, the Scots played poorly, but Brazil’s brilliant roster of attacking talent capitalized on mistakes with frightening efficiency.
Adjective
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Keeping your hair looking and feeling shiny can be challenging, but not with this hair kit.
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Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore said that fighting the fire had been extremely challenging.
Adjective
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Authorities say the scary situation happened at the end of a ride on May 10.
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As a child life specialist, Hartz’s job is to make the hospital experience less scary.
Adjective
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Summer 2026 is having a tough time deciding on this season’s dominating nail trend.
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These are typically low-wage jobs that the healthcare industry writ large has had a tough time recruiting for since the pandemic.
Adjective
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The production quality was terrible.
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But in May of 1943, a terrible fire burned his studio to the ground.
Adjective
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And a rigorous screening protocol for LFS patients developed by David Malkin, a protege of Fraumeni and Li, helps detect early-stage malignancies, improving the odds of treating them and prolonging lives.
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According to Lacey, who helped set up the Code Four program last year, enforcing the law requires a clear grasp of ethics and a rigorous attention to detail to make sure the job is done well.
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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