Standard Lemma guide

redoubtable

adj · noun · 6 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: /ɹɪˈdaʊtəbl̩/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ɹəˈdaʊtəb(ə)l/
  • General-American: /ɹi-/
  • General-American: [-ɾə-]
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R IY0 D AW1 T AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Especially of a person.

Eliciting respect; awe-inspiring, imposing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous, sometimes

Examples

  • The redoubtable New York Times has been called the “newspaper of record” of the United States.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unredoubtable

2

adj

Meaning 2

Especially of a person.

Eliciting dread or fear; appalling, formidable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unredoubtable

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person who elicits respect.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous, in-plural, often, sometimes

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A person who elicits dread or fear; a formidable person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-plural, often

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

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: formidable, unnerving

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

worthy of respect or honor

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • born of a redoubtable family

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English redoutable (“worthy of honour, venerable; frightening, terrible”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman redoutable and Middle French redoutable, redoubtable, from Old French redotable (modern French redoutable), from redoter (“to fear”) (whence Middle French redoubter, redouter, French redouter) + -able (suffix meaning ‘deserving of, worthy of’). Redoter is derived from re- (intensifying prefix) + doter (“to doubt; to fear”) (from Latin dubitō (“to doubt, be uncertain, waver in opinion”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dwi- (“apart, asunder; two”) + *bhuH- (“to appear; to be; to become; to grow”), in the sense of being in two minds). By surface analysis, redoubt (“to dread”) + -able. The noun is derived from the adjective.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: респектиращ (respektirašt) — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • Bulgarian: страшен (strašen) — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • Czech: budící respekt — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • Czech: obávaný — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • Finnish: kunnianarvoisa — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • French: redoutable — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • German: ehrfurchtgebietend — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • German: ehrfurchterweckend — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • German: respekteinflößend — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • Irish: forránta — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • Irish: mórghníomhach — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • Māori: kaiora — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • Māori: marutuna — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • Polish: wzbudzający respekt — eliciting respect — see also awe-inspiring, imposing
  • Finnish: kunnianarvoisa — person who elicits respect
  • German: Ehrfurcht einflößende Person — person who elicits respect
  • German: respekteinflößende Person — person who elicits respect
  • Finnish: pelottava — person who elicits dread or fear
  • German: furchteinflößende Person — person who elicits dread or fear