formidable
So powerful or impressive that it makes people nervous.
formidable in a sentence
- The chess champion was a formidable opponent who had not lost a single match in three years.
- The castle's formidable walls rose thirty metres high, and no army had ever broken through them.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to formidable?
- Aweak
- Bfeeble
- Charmless
- Dmighty
Show the answer
D: mighty. The other three mean the opposite of formidable.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to formidable?
- Aweak
- Bpowerful
- Cmighty
- Dscary
Show the answer
A: weak. The other three mean nearly the same as formidable.
Words that mean something similar
mighty, powerful, scary
Words that mean the opposite
weak, feeble, harmless
More words about character & personality
- gallant: Brave, noble and polite.
- generous: Happy to give or share with others.
- genial: Friendly, kind and cheerful.
- genuine: Real and true, not fake.
- grave: Very serious and important.
- gregarious: Enjoying the company of other people, or living in groups.
- gullible: Too ready to believe whatever you are told.
- hardy: Strong and able to cope with difficult conditions.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test