Dictionary

formidable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /fəˈmɪdəbəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /fɔɹˈmɪdəbəl/ (General-American)
• /ˈfɔɹmɪdəbəl/ (General-American)
• /fɔːˈmɪdəbəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English formidable, from Old French formidable, formible, from Latin formīdābilis (“formidable, terrible”) (whence -able), from formīdō (“fear, dread”).

Meanings

1. Causing fear, dread, awe, or discouragement as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive feature; commanding respect; causing wonder or astonishment.
   • […] and I am more afraid of those people than I am of Anytus and his colleagues, although they are formidable enough. 1954, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick, “Socrates on Trial: The Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, →OCLC, page 20:
   • The latter part of the fifteenth century prepared a train of future events, that ended by raising France to a formidable power, which has ever since been, from time to time, the principal object of jealousy to the other European nations. 1823, [Walter Scott], “The Contrast”, in Quentin Durward. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 3:
2. Difficult to defeat or overcome.
   • [Ian] Holloway has unfinished business in the Premier League after relegation last year and he will make a swift return if he can overcome West Ham a week on Saturday. Sam Allardyce, the West Ham manager, will be acutely aware that when the stakes are high, Blackpool are simply formidable. 2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2–3 on agg): Match report”, in Tony Gallagher, editor, The Daily Telegraph, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Jan 2018:
   • a formidable opponent
   • As I look back on that week in China two impressions stand out most vividly. One is the awesome sight of the disciplined but wildly—almost fanatically—enthusiastic audience at the gymnastic exhibition in Peking, confirming my belief that we must cultivate China during the next few decades while it is still learning to develop its national strength and potential. Otherwise we will one day be confronted with the most formidable enemy that has ever existed in the history of the world. 1978, Richard Nixon, RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon, Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 577:

Forms

Deriveds

superformidable · unformidable · informidable · formidability · formidableness · formidably

Synonyms

redoubtable

Translations (73)

mi kaiora (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ga iontach (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ga gríobhach (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ru внуши́тельный (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · bg страхо́тен (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · nl formidabel (difficult to defeat or overcome) · ru труднопреодоли́мый (difficult to defeat or overcome) · ru трудноразреши́мый (difficult to defeat or overcome) · fi pelottava (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · id hebat (difficult to defeat or overcome) · sv fruktansvärd (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · cs nepřekonatelný (difficult to defeat or overcome) · fi vaarallinen (difficult to defeat or overcome) · hu félelmetes (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · pl groźny (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · hu ijesztő (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · be гро́зны (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · da formidabel (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · oc formidable (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · da frygtindgydende (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · cs ohromující (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · de gewaltig (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · bg страхови́т (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · el αμόρφωτος (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ja 怖ろしく強い (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · de furchterregend (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ga ollmhór (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · el υπέροχος (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · cs ohromný (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · fi haastava (difficult to defeat or overcome) · sk hrozný (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · sv formidabel (difficult to defeat or overcome) · de formidabel (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · fi vaikuttava (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · fi voittamaton (difficult to defeat or overcome) · sa उग्र (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · cs úžasný (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · pt formidável (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ja 怖ろしい (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ro formidabil (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · yue 可畏 (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · de respekteinflößend (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · mi marutuna (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · fi valtava (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · es formidable (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · uk грі́зний (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · cmn 可畏 (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ca formidable (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · fr redoutable (difficult to defeat or overcome) · cmn 令人生畏的 (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · es formidable (difficult to defeat or overcome) · no formidabel (difficult to defeat or overcome) · ga scanrúil (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · hy ահեղ (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · no formidabel (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · hy ահարկու (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ga do-iongabhála (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · cs hrozný (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · hy հսկայական (difficult to defeat or overcome) · ru гро́зный (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · la formīdābilis (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ru чудо́вищный (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · nan-hbl 可畏 (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · de furchteinflößend (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · de beachtlich (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · tr ürkütücü (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · el τρομερός (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ro groaznic (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ru устраша́ющий (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · nl ontzagwekkend (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · fi mahtava (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · el δεινός (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality) · ga forránta (causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality)