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formidable

for-mee-dah-blayfoɾmiˈdaβle

wonderful

Also: terrific, great
Adjectivem or fB1
A bright yellow sun with a happy face shining over a field of colorful blooming flowers.

📝 In Action

¡Qué noticia más formidable!

A2

What wonderful news!

Pasamos un día formidable en la playa.

B1

We had a terrific day at the beach.

Eres un cocinero formidable.

B1

You are a great cook.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • estupendo (stupendous/great)
  • genial (great/brilliant)
  • magnífico (magnificent)

Antonyms

  • pésimo (awful/terrible)
  • horrible (horrible)

Common Collocations

  • un éxito formidable – a terrific success
  • una idea formidable – a wonderful idea

formidable

Also: daunting, tremendous
Adjectivem or fC1formal
A massive, powerful mountain peak with a glowing golden crown of light at the top.

📝 In Action

El equipo se enfrentó a un rival formidable.

B2

The team faced a formidable rival.

La montaña presentaba un reto formidable.

C1

The mountain presented a daunting challenge.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • imponente (impressive/imposing)
  • temible (fearsome)

Antonyms

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "formidable" in Spanish:

daunting→formidable→great→terrific→tremendous→wonderful→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: formidable

Question 1 of 1

If your friend says your new car is 'formidable', what do they mean?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
formidablemente(formidably/wonderfully) — Adverb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'formidabilis', which meant 'causing fear'. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'scary' to 'scary big' and finally to just 'exceptionally great' in common Spanish.

First recorded: 15th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: formidableFrench: formidable

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'formidable' change for masculine and feminine nouns?

No, it is an 'invariable' adjective, meaning it stays the same regardless of the gender of the person or thing you are describing.

Is it a false friend in English?

Sort of! While it can mean 'daunting' or 'powerful' like in English, in Spanish it is much more frequently used to simply mean 'excellent' or 'wonderful,' which English doesn't really do.