# formidable
## English
### Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French formidable, from Latin formīdābilis (“formidable, terrible”), from formīdō (“fear, dread”).

### Pronunciation

* (US) IPA: /ˈfɔːɹmɪdəbəl/, IPA: /fɔːɹˈmɪdəbəl/
* (UK) IPA: /fɔːˈmɪdəbəl/, /fəˈmɪdəbəl/
* Audio (US):(file)

### Adjective

formidable (comparative more formidable, superlative most formidable)
* Causing fear, dread, awe, or discouragement as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive feature; commanding respect; causing wonder or astonishment.
** 1823, [Walter Scott], “The Contrast”, in Quentin Durward. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 3:The latter part of the fifteenth century prepared a train of future events, that ended by raising France to a formidable power, which has ever since been, from time to time, the principal object of jealousy to the other European nations.
* Difficult to defeat or overcome.
    a formidable opponent
** 1978, Richard Nixon, RN: the Memoirs of Richard Nixon‎, Grosset & Dunlap, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 577:As I look back on that week in China two impressions stand out most vividly. One is the awesome sight of the disciplined but wildly—almost fanatically—enthusiastic audience at the gymnastic exhibition in Peking, confirming my belief that we must cultivate China during the next few decades while it is still learning to develop its national strength and potential. Otherwise we will one day be confronted with the most formidable enemy that has ever existed in the history of the world.
** 2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2–3 on agg): Match report”, in Tony Gallagher, editor, The Daily Telegraph‎, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 6 January 2018:[Ian] Holloway has unfinished business in the Premier League after relegation last year and he will make a swift return if he can overcome West Ham a week on Saturday. Sam Allardyce, the West Ham manager, will be acutely aware that when the stakes are high, Blackpool are simply formidable.

#### Derived terms

* formidability
* formidableness
* formidably
* informidable
* superformidable
* unformidable

#### Translations
## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin formīdābilis.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [fur.miˈðab.blə]
* IPA: (Balearic) [for.miˈðab.blə]
* IPA: (Valencia) [foɾ.miˈða.ble]

### Adjective

formidable m or f (masculine and feminine plural formidables)
* formidable

#### Derived terms

* formidablement

### Further reading

* “formidable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “formidable”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “formidable” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “formidable” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin formīdābilis (“formidable, terrible”), from formīdō (“fear, dread”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fɔʁ.mi.dabl/
* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

formidable (plural formidables)
* (dated or literary) fearsome
* fantastic, tremendous

#### Related terms

* formidablement

### Further reading

* “formidable”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Adjective

formidable
* definite singular of formidabel
* plural of formidabel

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Adjective

formidable
* definite singular of formidabel
* plural of formidabel

## Occitan
### Etymology

From Latin formīdābilis.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

formidable m (feminine singular formidabla, masculine plural formidables, feminine plural formidablas)
* formidable

## Spanish
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin formidābilis.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /foɾmiˈdable/ [foɾ.miˈð̞a.β̞le]
* Rhymes: -able
* Syllabification: for‧mi‧da‧ble

### Adjective

formidable m or f (masculine and feminine plural formidables)
* formidable
* great, fantastic
    Synonyms: genial, fantástico
* tremendous
    Synonym: tremendo

#### Derived terms

* formidablemente

#### Further reading

* “formidable”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10