different between ferocious vs formidable

English

Etymology

Taken from Latin ferox (“wild, bold, savage, fierce”) (with the suffix -ous), from ferus (“wild, savage, fierce”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f???????s/
• Rhymes: -????s

Adjective

ferocious (comparative more ferocious, superlative most ferocious)

1. Marked by extreme and violent energy.
   • 1975, Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift [Avon ed., 1976, p. 376]:

     But it seemed to me that there were few faces like his, with the ferocious profile that brought to mind the Latin word rapax or one of Rouault's crazed death-dealing arbitrary kings.
2. Extreme or intense.

Synonyms

• fierce

Derived terms

• ferociously

Related terms

• ferity
• ferocity
• fierce
• feral

Translations

Further reading

• ferocious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• ferocious in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• ferocious at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French formidable, from Latin form?d?bilis (“formidable, terrible”), from form?d? (“fear, dread”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?f???m?d?b?l/, IPA^(key): /f????m?d?b?l/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /f???m?d?b?l/, /f??m?d?b?l/

Adjective

formidable (comparative more formidable, superlative most formidable)

1. Causing fear, dread, awe, or discouragement as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive feature; commanding respect; causing wonder or astonishment.
2. Difficult to defeat or overcome.

Translations

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin form?d?bilis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /fo?.mi?da.bl?/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /fur.mi?da.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /fo?.mi?da.ble/

Adjective

formidable (masculine and feminine plural formidables)

1. formidable

Derived terms

• formidablement

Further reading

• “formidable” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “formidable” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “formidable” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “formidable” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin form?d?bilis (“formidable, terrible”), from form?d? (“fear, dread”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f??.mi.dabl/

Adjective

formidable (plural formidables)

1. (dated or literary) fearsome
2. fantastic, tremendous

Further reading

• “formidable” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

formidable

1. definite singular of formidabel
2. plural of formidabel

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

formidable

1. definite singular of formidabel
2. plural of formidabel

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin form?d?bilis.

Adjective

formidable m (feminine singular formidabla, masculine plural formidables, feminine plural formidablas)

1. formidable

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin formidabilis.

Adjective

formidable (plural formidables)

1. great, fantastic, tremendous
2. formidable

Derived terms

• formidablemente

Further reading

• “formidable” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.