1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
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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
China is an increasingly formidable rival on this front.
—
L. Rafael Reif, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
Pluto — Lord of the Underworld and the planet of death, rebirth and transformation — is a formidable force.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 3 May 2025
Effa Manley, in addition to serving as the team’s business manager, was a formidable social rights advocate whose impact extended far beyond baseball.
—Lauren Coates, Variety, 1 May 2025
In conversation, Lee is grizzled and gregarious, quick to cackle, and prone to starry-eyed digressions about music’s overwhelming power and his partner’s formidable songwriting chops.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
L. Rafael Reif, Foreign Affairs, 6 May 2025
Pluto — Lord of the Underworld and the planet of death, rebirth and transformation — is a formidable force.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 3 May 2025
Effa Manley, in addition to serving as the team’s business manager, was a formidable social rights advocate whose impact extended far beyond baseball.
—Lauren Coates, Variety, 1 May 2025
In conversation, Lee is grizzled and gregarious, quick to cackle, and prone to starry-eyed digressions about music’s overwhelming power and his partner’s formidable songwriting chops.
—Elias Leight, Billboard, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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To cut yourself off from people is to lose your connection and way in a glorious, terrifying world.—
Mary Frances Ruskell,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
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Audio and video deepfakes created with generative AI tools add a new, terrifying wrinkle to scam spotting.—
Kim Key,
PC Magazine,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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Rust, a difficult movie to release, grossed $25k at 115 theaters, presented by Falling Forward Films.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
4 May 2025
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Clematis wilt is a fungal infection that is difficult to treat.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
3 May 2025
Adjective
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These frightening and repulsive actions represent the most significant breach on our Capitol in over two hundred years.—
Sonam Sheth
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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Mellencamp's frightening diagnosis, though, hasn't stopped her resolve.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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On one hand, the problem makes a manager’s life more challenging by limiting a team’s available options to potentially finish a close game.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
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Saving for retirement has become more challenging for many reasons.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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So their arrival in the world of the New Avengers may be a harbinger of scary things to come.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
2 May 2025
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With stealth mechanics now in the mix, Metroid Dread doubled down on the scarier bits of Metroid Fusion to create gameplay sections where deadly EMMI robots have to be avoided, at least until Samus regains her strength (big shock).—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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Last year’s drought conditions that extended into late fall combined with very windy winter conditions and frozen soils were tough for some evergreens.—
Pamm Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
10 May 2025
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Dodging tough questions without seeming a bit evasive.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Such legislation is meant to destabilize Pakistan’s internal politics, which is in no one’s interests, except those who promoted such a terrible idea in the first place.—
Christopher Shays,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2025
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Transgender kids, especially under the current president, are facing terrible rights losses and bigotry.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Every debt-relief product review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of debt-relief products.—
Dana Miranda,
CNBC,
29 Apr. 2025
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Taking the rigorous steps to join the community opens up a whole new world of possibilities.—
Alyssa Mercante,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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