different between terrible vs formidable

English

Etymology

From Middle English terrible, from Old French, from Latin terribilis (“frightful”), from terre? (“I frighten, terrify, alarm; I deter by terror, scare (away)”). Compare terror, deter.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?t?.??.bl?/, /?t?.??.bl?/
• Homophone: tearable, in some accents

Adjective

terrible (comparative terribler or more terrible, superlative terriblest or most terrible)

1. Dreadful; causing terror, alarm and fear; awesome

2. Formidable, powerful.
   • 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     […] and there was even a party of the younger men who pretended to admire him, calling him a "true sea-dog," and "real old salt," and such-like names, and saying there was the sort of man that made England terrible at sea.
3. Intense; extreme in degree or extent.

4. Unpleasant; disagreeable.

5. Very bad; lousy.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:frightening

Antonyms

• (very bad): excellent

Adverb

terrible (comparative more terrible, superlative most terrible)

1. (colloquial, dialect) In a terrible way; to a terrible extent; terribly; awfully.

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• treblier

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /t??ri.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /te?ri.ble/

Adjective

terrible (masculine and feminine plural terribles)

1. terrible (causing fear)
2. terrible (formidable, intense)

French

Etymology

From Latin terribilis

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t?.?ibl/

Adjective

terrible (plural terribles)

1. (all senses) terrible
2. (colloquial) great, excellent

Derived terms

• enfant terrible

Related terms

• terreur
• terriblement
• terrifier

Further reading

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

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin terribilis. Cognate with English terrible.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /te?rible/, [t?e?ri.??le]
• Hyphenation: te?rri?ble

Adjective

terrible (plural terribles)

1. terrible, awful, horrible (very bad)
2. appalling (shocking, causing consternation)
3. terrific (very great or intense)

Derived terms

• terribilísimo
• terriblemente

Related terms

• terror

Further reading

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

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.