adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/fɔːˈmɪdəbəl/
Received-Pronunciation:/fəˈmɪdəbəl/
General-American:/ˈfɔɹmɪdəbəl/
General-American:/fɔɹˈmɪdəbəl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:F AO1 R M AH0 D AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:F AO2 R M IH1 D AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Causing fear, dread, awe, or discouragement as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive feature; commanding respect; causing wonder or astonishment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: redoubtable
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Difficult to defeat or overcome.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
a formidable opponent
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
inspiring fear- G.H.Johnston
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the formidable prospect of major surgery
a tougher and more redoubtable adversary than the heel-clicking, jackbooted fanatic
something unnerving and prisonlike about high grey wall
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: redoubtable, unnerving
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
extremely impressive in strength or excellence
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a formidable opponent
the challenge was formidable
had a formidable array of compositions to his credit
the formidable army of brains at the Prime Minister's disposal
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English formidable, from Old French formidable, formible, from Latin formīdābilis (“formidable, terrible”) (whence -able), from formīdō (“fear, dread”).
Across languages
Translations
73 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ահեղ
(aheġ)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Armenian:
ահարկու
(aharku)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Belarusian:
гро́зны
(hrózny)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Bulgarian:
страхови́т
(strahovít)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Bulgarian:
страхо́тен
(strahóten)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Catalan:
formidable
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Chinese Cantonese:
可畏
(ho2 wai3)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Chinese:
可畏
(khó-ùi)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Chinese Mandarin:
可畏
(kěwèi)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Chinese Mandarin:
令人生畏的
(lìngrénshēngwèide)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Czech:
hrozný
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Czech:
ohromný
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Czech:
ohromující
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Czech:
úžasný
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Danish:
frygtindgydende
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Danish:
formidabel
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Dutch:
ontzagwekkend
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Finnish:
mahtava
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Finnish:
valtava
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Finnish:
vaikuttava
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Finnish:
pelottava
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
German:
respekteinflößend
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
German:
furchteinflößend
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
German:
furchterregend
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
German:
gewaltig
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
German:
beachtlich
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
German:
formidabel
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Greek:
υπέροχος
(ypérochos)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Greek:
τρομερός
(tromerós)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Greek:
δεινός
(deinós)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Greek:
αμόρφωτος
(amórfotos)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Hungarian:
ijesztő
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Hungarian:
félelmetes
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Irish:
do-iongabhála
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Irish:
forránta
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Irish:
gríobhach
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Irish:
iontach
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Irish:
ollmhór
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Irish:
scanrúil
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Japanese:
怖ろしい
(osoroshii)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Japanese:
怖ろしく強い
(osoroshikutsuyoi)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Latin:
formīdābilis
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Māori:
kaiora
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Māori:
marutuna
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Norwegian:
formidabel
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Occitan:
formidable
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Polish:
groźny
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Portuguese:
formidável
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Romanian:
formidabil
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Romanian:
groaznic
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Russian:
гро́зный
(gróznyj)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Russian:
устраша́ющий
(ustrašájuščij)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Russian:
внуши́тельный
(vnušítelʹnyj)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Russian:
чудо́вищный
(čudóviščnyj)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Sanskrit:
उग्र
(ugra)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Slovak:
hrozný
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Spanish:
formidable
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Swedish:
fruktansvärd
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Turkish:
ürkütücü
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Ukrainian:
грі́зний
(hríznyj)
— causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality
Armenian:
հսկայական
(hskayakan)
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Czech:
nepřekonatelný
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Dutch:
formidabel
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Finnish:
vaarallinen
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Finnish:
haastava
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Finnish:
voittamaton
— difficult to defeat or overcome
French:
redoutable
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Indonesian:
hebat
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Norwegian:
formidabel
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Russian:
труднопреодоли́мый
(trudnopreodolímyj)
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Russian:
трудноразреши́мый
(trudnorazrešímyj)
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Spanish:
formidable
— difficult to defeat or overcome
Swedish:
formidabel
— difficult to defeat or overcome
