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
All morning extra-sized barges loaded up passengers from the Giardini, scooted around the Arsenale, past the famous glass-blowing island of Murano, and then approached the Island of San Giacomo—a tiny speck on a map, but quite formidable in person.
—
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026
From all appearances, Rocket Lab is continuing to grow as both a formidable launch and space services company.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
His fresh approach combined with the formidable presence of former Bay Area resident Yahya Abdul-Mateen II power Netflix’s violent series, a promising start of what could well find John Creasy (Abdul-Mateen) reprising his role as the PTSDing loner.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Donaldson keeps tabs on these projects, and many more, in what is a typical workday for a man who could be building the most formidable media business to emerge this decade and beyond.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026
From all appearances, Rocket Lab is continuing to grow as both a formidable launch and space services company.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
His fresh approach combined with the formidable presence of former Bay Area resident Yahya Abdul-Mateen II power Netflix’s violent series, a promising start of what could well find John Creasy (Abdul-Mateen) reprising his role as the PTSDing loner.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
Donaldson keeps tabs on these projects, and many more, in what is a typical workday for a man who could be building the most formidable media business to emerge this decade and beyond.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
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While Krug was alive, authorities filed search warrants with communications companies that sought information about the increasingly terrifying messages the stalker was sending her, police records show.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
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When the show picks up, Lorcan is experiencing a strange series of nightmares centered around a terrifying rabbit-faced man, a creature pulled from Celtic mythology known as a Pooka.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Combining all of this in one material has been difficult because thermal control and signal control rely on very different properties.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
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Despite the removal of material, the architecture can result in a busy design and potentially make reading the time difficult.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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Late on against Newcastle, Rutter beat two players on the left with a frightening burst of pace and set up Minteh, only for the 21-year-old to blast over an empty net.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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Dash camera video showed the frightening moment when a wheel from a United Airlines plane slammed into a bakery delivery truck that was traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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But as challenging as these cases can be, the I-Team found the fight for workers' comp when a firefighter is battling cancer can be even more complicated.—
Ginger Allen,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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Corporations benefit from the best talent without having to hire them, which is challenging and expensive.—
Anis Uzzaman,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Just because there’s something scary down the hall, that doesn’t mean that being a good person doesn’t matter.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
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Makar took a scary hit along the boards from Foligno early in the first period.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Chase Meidroth made a shuffle toss to second base for a force out, but the Sox couldn’t complete what would have been a tough double play.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Our legislators must make some tough decisions; avoiding the issues is not acceptable.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Now, nearly two years later, the school finds itself in a terrible spot, as accusations of serious misconduct arise and an investigation by the athletic department heats up.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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And, betting on terrible outcomes doesn't signify what the better actually wants to happen.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Many have traditionally mischaracterized nursing as feminine and subservient, but becoming an effective nurse in the modern health care landscape requires candidates to pursue complex and rigorous training.—
Nicholas A. Giordano,
STAT,
8 May 2026
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Every cybersecurity article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of cybersecurity products.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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