Formidable
adjectiveInspiring fear, respect, or admiration through being powerful, impressive, or difficult to deal with.
How to spell formidable
10 letters · 4 syllables
How to pronounce formidable
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does formidable mean?
- adjectiveInspiring fear, respect, or admiration through being powerful, impressive, or difficult to deal with.
Formidable in a sentence
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The negotiating team faced a formidable rival across the table.
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Climbing the north face presents a formidable challenge even for experts.
Where does formidable come from?
Language of origin: Latin
The word comes from the Latin formidabilis, meaning 'causing fear' or 'to be dreaded', which was built on the verb formidare, 'to fear or dread'. That verb in turn derived from the noun formido, meaning 'fear, terror, or dread', a feeling so strong it could make a person tremble. English took the word in during the fifteenth century, partly through French, where formidable carried the same sense of something alarming. Over time the meaning softened from purely terrifying to admirably powerful or impressive, so a 'formidable opponent' today is one you respect as much as fear. The spelling preserves the Latin -able ending intact, which is the main thing to watch: it is formid-ABLE, not formid-ible.
How the word is built
- formid- (from Latin formidare: to fear, to dread)
- -able (worthy of, inspiring)
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