1
as in formidable
causing fear
at night the child would always imagine that there were fearsome monsters lurking under his bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
after working all afternoon in the hot sun, I had developed a fearsome thirst
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in timid
easily frightened
the more fearsome of the two children would only peer at the guests from a distance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fearsome
In the Cretaceous forests of ancient Madagascar, one frog earned its fearsome name the hard way.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Cleveland: Abdul Carter, Edge rusher, Penn State Carter, perhaps the best player in the draft, and Myles Garrett would make a fearsome pair of bookend pass rushers.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2025
As the cool new kid in town, his Tommy Oliver was transformed into one of the core team of rangers' (Amy Jo Johnson, David Yost, Austin St. John, Walter Emanuel Jones, and Thuy Trang) primary adversaries: the fearsome Green Ranger.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025
The two-time Oscar winner is fearsome and towering, for sure, although this production ultimately belongs to Gyllenhaal, 44.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
Cleveland: Abdul Carter, Edge rusher, Penn State Carter, perhaps the best player in the draft, and Myles Garrett would make a fearsome pair of bookend pass rushers.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2025
As the cool new kid in town, his Tommy Oliver was transformed into one of the core team of rangers' (Amy Jo Johnson, David Yost, Austin St. John, Walter Emanuel Jones, and Thuy Trang) primary adversaries: the fearsome Green Ranger.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2025
The two-time Oscar winner is fearsome and towering, for sure, although this production ultimately belongs to Gyllenhaal, 44.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearsome
Adjective
-
The renowned American sculptor was more accessible at a smaller scale with a formidable presence at TEFAF New York.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
-
Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation Cobb brings a formidable and unique resume to WWE, built across multiple major promotions.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
In the game, the station is in the bright sunlight, and the subway tunnel experience takes a lot longer, and isn’t quite as intense.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
5 May 2025
-
And, George, Elon Musk told reporters this week it's been a very intense 100 days.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Makos athletes also noticed that their parents were timid around water.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 May 2025
-
Haney looked timid and afraid for the first four rounds before finding his legs and winning a unanimous decision in a lackluster fight with Jose Ramirez.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Adjective
-
The family eventually crosses paths with a corrupt theme-park operator (John Ortiz), his sheriff (Colin Hanks) and a terrifying crime boss (Sharon Stone) before chaos ensues.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
-
The additional terrifying factor was that the plane had only three minutes of fuel left — and Cruise had still not gotten up.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
Tehran claims its program is peaceful but has threatened fierce retaliation and a possible withdrawal from the nonproliferation treaty if its nuclear sites are attacked.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
8 May 2025
-
The old model of fierce independence is a luxury many can't afford during this transition.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Every celebrity — no matter how small — had at least one stalker or someone obsessed with them, and no fan was creepier or scarier than the ones obsessed with child stars.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
14 May 2025
-
Here’s a scary scenario: You’ve been put in charge of air traffic control at Newark airport near New York.—
Steve Nadis,
Quanta Magazine,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
These frightening and repulsive actions represent the most significant breach on our Capitol in over two hundred years.—
Sonam Sheth
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
-
Mellencamp's frightening diagnosis, though, hasn't stopped her resolve.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Ryan Murphy has found his Kennedys after an intensive casting search for the first installment of his new FX anthology series, American Love Story.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
13 May 2025
-
The department conducts an annual review of each state, and a more intensive one that’s supposed to be completed roughly every five years.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fearsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearsome. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share