"Formidable" is a serious, formal, common word.

Even though it means "inspiring fear," it's often a compliment, great for emphasizing someone's skill, talent, or competitive edge.

We talk about formidable people, like formidable foes, formidable athletes, and formidable teams. And if we just describe someone as formidable, full stop, then it's their appearance or behavior alone that makes us quake.

We also get figurative and talk about formidable tasks, problems, challenges to overcome, and diseases to find cures for, suggesting that these things are, like tough opponents, hard to beat, hard to finish off. And we talk about formidable feats, resumes, track records, lists of accomplishments and so on, suggesting that these things have "won," that they're tough and strong and victorious.

Because "formidable" sounds so formal and stern, it's perfect for sarcasm and playful exaggeration. You might talk about formidable kittens or their formidable claws, someone's formidable sense of entitlement, or a Costco muffin with a formidable calorie count. And check out the example below about the formidable corset!

"[Miss Trunchbull] was above all a most formidable female. She had once been a famous athlete, and even now the muscles were still clearly in evidence."  
  — Roald Dahl, Matilda, 1988

"Alexandra's Sunday corset was even more formidable than her everyday ones. She stood in the door of Jean Louise's room enarmored, hatted, gloved, perfumed, and ready... Jean Louise was confident that Alexandra could wage a defensive war with little less tactical genius than her forward thrusts." 
   — Harper Lee, Go Set a Watchman, 2015

has this page helped you understand "formidable"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "formidable" without saying "unnerving" or "fierce."

try it out:

In Sara Farizan's novel Here to Stay, a high school student says:

"It's kind of messed up to have a guy carrying a rifle as a mascot for a school... We were wondering if you would be interested in signing a petition to change the school’s mascot to something less violent but still formidable?"

I'd definitely sign that petition! I loved my high school mascot: it was a panther. All muscle and claws and fangs, but still beautifully feline. Very formidable.

Thinking back to your days at school, can you remember if you had a formidable mascot? If so, what was it? And could you give your thoughts on why mascots are so often formidable: not just for schools, but for sports teams, too?

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "Words On Words On Birds."

Use your knowledge of vocabulary to answer questions about the terminology describing names for birds.

Try this today:

Sensu stricto means "in the strict sense, in the narrow sense" and describes bird names that separate close relatives into groups as specifically as possible. Which term below is the precise opposite of sensu stricto?

A. sensu amplificato
B. sensu benignissimo
C. sensu lato
D. sensu malo

Need a hint? Highlight the hidden text: Since we're trying to find a term that means "in the broadest sense, in the widest sense," look for the Latin word that calls to mind other English words involving width, such as the word for lines that encircle the globe.

To see the answer, scroll all the way down. 

review this word:

1. An exact opposite of FORMIDABLE is UNFORMIDABLE. But some pretty close opposites of FORMIDABLE are

A. CHILL, BLASÉ, and UNCONCERNED.
B. WEAK, MEDIOCRE, and UNIMPRESSIVE.
C. LOOSE, SLACKING, and UNPROFESSIONAL.

2. From An American Plague: "Henry Deforest took on the formidable task of _____."

A. keeping the windows open
B. providing food for the city
C. sewing protective masks for his family

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. B From the game: Sensu stricto means "in the strict sense, in the narrow sense" and describes bird names that separate close relatives into groups as specifically as possible. Which term below is the precise opposite of sensu stricto? A. sensu amplificato B. sensu benignissimo C. sensu lato is the correct answer. D. sensu malo Sensu lato means "in the wide sense, in the broad sense" and applies to bird names where close relatives have been grouped together. Not knowing Latin, we could still get to the answer by thinking of English words that resemble the given ones; in this case, it'd be words like "latitude" and "oblate." The wrong answers, A, B, and D, suggest terms involving loudness (like "amplify"), kindness (like "benign"), and evil (like "malice"), respectively.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.