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
Suddenly, a new generation is learning that the stock market does not always go up, and that the downside is always faster and more fearsome than the bull market rallies.
—
Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
Amid the ferocity, the Grant Parkers always sounded whetted and clean, moving through the works’ shifting meters with fearsome precision.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
In that period, Ramirez was perhaps the most fearsome right-handed hitter ever to wear the Red Sox uniform.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
The audience's imagination provided a far more fearsome shark than Spielberg could have.
—Jim Beckerman, USA Today, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
Amid the ferocity, the Grant Parkers always sounded whetted and clean, moving through the works’ shifting meters with fearsome precision.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
In that period, Ramirez was perhaps the most fearsome right-handed hitter ever to wear the Red Sox uniform.
—Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
The audience's imagination provided a far more fearsome shark than Spielberg could have.
—Jim Beckerman, USA Today, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearsome
Adjective
-
In short, because the Ukrainians have put up a formidable defense.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
9 July 2025
-
Williams, 62, previously headed Apple's formidable operations division, which is in charge of manufacturing millions of complicated devices like iPhones, while keeping costs down.—
Kif Leswing,
CNBC,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Anybody who thought Messi would rest after the intense international tournament does not know Messi.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 July 2025
-
During the 1995 heat wave, many of the casualties were seniors who didn’t have family or neighbors to check in on them, especially those living in high-rise buildings where the heat was particularly intense.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
Putin played the timid souls of these make-America-weak policymakers like a violin.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
Although timid at first, Sarah has now let her personality shine.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
For Bertram, whose family winery has roots deep in the terraced vineyards of the valley, the night was a blur of frantic decisions and terrifying uncertainty.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
But this is still grand blockbuster filmmaking: The scene where bombs explode across Gotham is as memorable and terrifying as anything in the series.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Winds, too, were fierce, gusting up to 70 mph at the lakefront, according to the National Weather Service.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
-
To put that drop into context, Gates was the fifth richest person alive on July 3, highlighting the fierce (and sometimes erratic) battle to make it to the top 10.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
The filmmakers used the sounds of babies crying to make a scary noise In the film, the bad people go to a bad afterlife, and they’re taken there by creepy, inky shadow things.—
Drew Mackie,
People.com,
13 July 2025
-
He’s got that leading-man energy that, for that part, was just super-fun, this very scary, almost James Bond villain, or Mission: Impossible.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Moreover, if their environment is unpredictable, frightening, or volatile, some children learn that any disagreement could lead to danger and try to bury their feelings to avoid conflict and maintain a sense of peace.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Parents,
7 July 2025
-
The great outdoors can be a big and frightening place, especially for cats who have only seen it from the safety of the great indoors.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
An intensive moisturiser that delivers maximum hydration, Revision’s DermProtect Barrier Defense™ also replenishes natural lipids, and enhances moisture retention.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
The military would prefer to focus on managing ever-growing threats from satellites, an intensive effort that requires continual monitoring as other nations' increasingly sophisticated spacecraft maneuver from one orbit to another.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fearsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearsome. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share