Formidable means so strong or skilled that it inspires respect and a little fear. A formidable opponent, formidable intellect, a formidable woman.
It is admiring rather than hostile: a formidable opponent is one you take seriously. It suits reputations, intellects and obstacles — a formidable task is daunting rather than impossible. The stress is argued over, with the older British formidable on the first syllable losing ground to formidable on the second. Note that French formidable means terrific and is a false friend.
1adjectiveformidableSo strong or skilled that it inspires respect and a little fear.
“The champion was a formidable opponent, and few players had ever beaten her.”
synonyms: daunting, redoubtable
formidable is a quality of impressive strength.
Latin formidabilis comes from formido, dread. The English word kept the fear but added respect, so a formidable person is frightening in a way you are supposed to admire.
Latin
formīdābilis — formidable, terrible
Old French
formidable
Middle English
formidable
English, today
formidable
Built from
From Middle English formidable, from Old French formidable, formible, from Latin formīdābilis (“formidable, terrible”) (whence -able), from formīdō (“fear, dread”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA