formidable
adjective/fəˈmɪdəbl/, /ˈfɔːmɪdəbl/
/ˈfɔːrmɪdəbl/, /fərˈmɪdəbl/
- if people, things or situations are formidable, you feel fear and/or respect for them, because they are impressive or powerful, or because they seem very difficult
- In debate he was a formidable opponent.
- Somehow the small but formidable woman fought her way through the crowd to reach her son.
- She has a formidable list of qualifications.
- The two players together make a formidable combination.
- The task was a formidable one.
- They had to overcome formidable obstacles.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- look
- seem
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
Word Originlate Middle English: from French, or from Latin formidabilis, from formidare ‘to fear’.Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
formidable