Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

formidable

 
Dictionary: for·mi·da·ble   (fôr'mĭ-də-bəl, fôr-mĭd'ə-) pronunciation
adj.
  1. Arousing fear, dread, or alarm: the formidable prospect of major surgery.
  2. Inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder: "Though a true hero, he was also a thoroughgoing bureaucrat and politician, a formidable combination" (Mario Puzo).
  3. Difficult to undertake, surmount, or defeat: a formidable challenge; a formidable opponent.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin formīdābilis, from formīdāre, to fear, from formīdō, fear.]

formidability for'mi·da·bil'i·ty or for'mi·da·ble·ness n.
formidably for'mi·da·bly adv.

USAGE NOTE   Traditionally formidable has been pronounced with stress on the first syllable, but recently the pronunciation with stress on the second syllable, which is a common variant in British English, appears to be on the rise in American English. The traditional pronunciation is apparently still preferred by a large majority of educated speakers, however. A recent survey shows that 80 percent of the Usage Panel use the pronunciation (fôrPRIMARY_STRESSmĭ-də-bəl), while 14 percent use (fôr-mĭdPRIMARY_STRESSə-bəl). A few Panelists approved both pronunciations.


Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Word Overheard: formidable
Top

Looking ahead to 2008, George W. Bush saw Hillary Clinton as a "formidable" Democratic presidential candidate, which probably means he's glad he won't have to run against her:

"President Bush said Friday that Sen. Hillary Clinton, a potential candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, is 'formidable,' but he declined to speculate on which Republicans might run for the White House in 2008."

Link: Bush Calls Hillary Clinton 'Formidable'

Posted January 29, 2006.

Thesaurus: formidable
Top
Antonyms: formidable
Top

adj

Definition: difficult, overwhelming
Antonyms: comforting, easy, not hard, pleasant, trivial

adj

Definition: horrible, terrifying
Antonyms: feeble, friendly, harmless, nice, pleasant, powerless, weak


Translations: Formidable
Top

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - formidabel, frygtindgydende

Nederlands (Dutch)
gevreesd, geducht, ontzagwekkend

Français (French)
adj. - redoutable, impressionnant

Deutsch (German)
adj. - gewaltig, schrecklich, formidabel

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - τρομερός, δεινός, φοβερός, τεράστιος, υπερμεγέθης, δύσκολος

Italiano (Italian)
formidabile

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - terrível

Русский (Russian)
грозный, огромный, устрашающий

Español (Spanish)
adj. - temido, temible, formidable

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - fruktansvärd, formidabel

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
强大的, 艰难的, 可怕的

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 強大的, 艱難的, 可怕的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 무서운, 방대한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 恐ろしい, 手ごわい, 手に負えない, 恐ろしく大きい

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) مرعب , هائل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮נורא, מפחיד, מעורר יראת-כבוד, שקשה להתנגד לו או להתגבר עליו‬


 
 
Learn More
formidably
Runbeck, Margaret Lee (Quotes By)
informidable

Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Word Overheard. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Answers Corporation Antonyms. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved.  Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more