WORD OF THE DAY
People who are formidable inspire fear and respect thanks to their size, or special ability, or unusual qualities. If you're a wildly popular celebrity, you probably don't go anywhere without a formidable bodyguard.
What's interesting about formidable is that we often tend to use it about things that are simultaneously scary and impressive. A formidable opponent is almost by definition a worthy one; a formidable challenge is almost by definition one worth rising to. Not surprisingly, this word is derived from the Latin formidare, "to fear."
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Commonly confused words with formidable
formidable / formative
Formidable describes a foe you're slightly afraid of, but formative describes what formed you. Perhaps a formidable gym teacher told you to get the lead out during your formative years in grade school, and now you're a world-class athlete. (Or a bookworm, depending on how you react to formidable foes.)
read moreVocabulary lists containing formidable
Learn these essential words that you'll encounter in literature, textbooks, class discussions, and more.
Add to your formidable vocabulary arsenal by learning these words inspired by "The Avengers" movies.
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