Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Inspiring fear or dread through being impressively large, powerful, intense, or capable: Describes something that causes apprehension due to its perceived strength, difficulty, or seriousness.
   • Extremely impressive in strength, excellence, or difficulty: Describes something that commands respect or admiration because of its powerful qualities, often presenting a significant challenge.

Usage Examples

• Inspiring fear/dread:
  • The boxer had a formidable reputation that made many opponents nervous before the fight.
  • Climbing the mountain in winter is a formidable challenge that requires great skill and courage.
• Extremely impressive/excellent:
  • She has a formidable intellect and can solve complex problems quickly.
  • The team built a formidable lead in the first half of the game.

Advanced Usage

• "a formidable array of (something)": an impressively large or powerful collection.
  • The lawyer presented a formidable array of evidence to the court.
• "a formidable task/challenge/obstacle": a very difficult task that is daunting to undertake.
  • Rebuilding the economy after the war was a formidable task for the new government.

Variants and Related Words

• Formidably (adverb): in a manner that inspires fear or respect.
  • The army was formidably equipped with the latest technology.
• Formidability (noun, less common): the quality of being formidable.
  • The formidability of the storm led to widespread evacuations.

Synonyms

• Daunting: seeming difficult to deal with in anticipation; intimidating.
• Redoubtable (formal): inspiring fear or respect; formidable.
• Intimidating: having a frightening, overawing, or threatening effect.

Antonyms

• Weak: lacking the power to perform physically demanding tasks; lacking force.
• Feeble: lacking strength or vigor; frail.
• Unimpressive: not inspiring respect or admiration.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "A formidable opponent/rival": a competitor who is very difficult to defeat.
  • In the chess tournament, she proved to be a formidable opponent.
• "Formidable powers of...": impressive abilities in a specific area.
  • The detective was known for his formidable powers of observation and deduction.

Adjective

1. inspiring fear
   • the formidable prospect of major surgery
   • a tougher and more redoubtable adversary than the heel-clicking, jackbooted fanatic- G.H.Johnston
   • something unnerving and prisonlike about high grey wall
2. extremely impressive in strength or excellence
   • 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