Formidable vs. Wonderful: What's the Difference?
Formidable and Wonderful Definitions
Formidable
Arousing fear, dread, or alarm
The formidable prospect of major surgery.
Wonderful
Admirable or very good; excellent or splendid
What a wonderful person she is.
Had a wonderful time at the party.
Formidable
Inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder
"A woman of formidable intelligence and tenacity, [she] prides herself on being independent-minded" (Nan Levinson).
Wonderful
Capable of eliciting wonder; astonishing
"The ... whale is one of the most wonderful animals in the world" (Charles Darwin).
Formidable
Difficult to undertake, surmount, or defeat
A formidable challenge.
A formidable opponent.
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Wonderful
Tending to excite wonder; surprising, extraordinary.
Formidable
Causing fear, dread, awe, or discouragement as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive feature; commanding respect; causing wonder or astonishment.
Wonderful
Surprisingly excellent; very good or admirable, extremely impressive.
They served a wonderful six-course meal.
What appears to be wonderful may turn out to be anything but.
Formidable
Difficult to defeat or overcome.
A formidable opponent
Wonderful
(dialect) Exceedingly, to a great extent.
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Formidable
Exciting fear or apprehension; impressing dread; adapted to excite fear and deter from approach, encounter, or undertaking; alarming.
They seemed to fear the formodable sight.
I swell my preface into a volume, and make it formidable, when you see so many pages behind.
Wonderful
Adapted to excite wonder or admiration; surprising; strange; astonishing.
Formidable
Extremely impressive in strength or excellence;
A formidable opponent
The challenge was formidable
Had a formidable array of compositions to his credit
The formidable army of brains at the Prime Minister's disposal
Wonderful
Extraordinarily good; used especially as intensifiers;
A fantastic trip to the Orient
The film was fantastic!
A howling success
A marvelous collection of rare books
Had a rattling conversation about politics
A tremendous achievement
Formidable
Inspiring fear;
The formidable prospect of major surgery
A tougher and more redoubtable adversary than the heel-clicking, jackbooted fanatic
Something unnerving and prisonlike about high gray wall
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