1
as in formidable
causing fear
at night the child would always imagine that there were fearsome monsters lurking under his bed
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2
as in intense
extreme in degree, power, or effect
after working all afternoon in the hot sun, I had developed a fearsome thirst
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3
as in timid
easily frightened
the more fearsome of the two children would only peer at the guests from a distance
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fearsome
Even Sam Star’s mother, a deeply southern woman who has a fearsome dedication to her child, is a revolutionary figure right now.
—
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
Skubal was their ace on the mound, their most fearsome asset facing a collection of the best hitters in the world.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
And that longer length isn't just a fun fact about the fearsome creatures.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
Analyzing the legendary unicorn tapestries hanging at the Met Cloisters in New York (augmented here by a gory new panel that depicts the suddenly fearsome animals disemboweling and impaling their aggressors), Ridley concludes that unicorns aren’t nearly as benevolent as most people think.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
Skubal was their ace on the mound, their most fearsome asset facing a collection of the best hitters in the world.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
And that longer length isn't just a fun fact about the fearsome creatures.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
Analyzing the legendary unicorn tapestries hanging at the Met Cloisters in New York (augmented here by a gory new panel that depicts the suddenly fearsome animals disemboweling and impaling their aggressors), Ridley concludes that unicorns aren’t nearly as benevolent as most people think.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fearsome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fearsome
Adjective
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In the great-power competition with the United States’ adversaries, none is more formidable than the Chinese Communist Party.—
Arthur Herman,
National Review,
3 Apr. 2025
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Tyler Glasnow is formidable on the mound when healthy.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The missions became more intense as Japan's outlook grew more dire and the military showcased the sacrifice of the pilots to drum up patriotism and support for the war.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Next, the authors report that repressive techniques are often effective in suppressing protest in the short run but tend to make resistance more intense in the long term.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Underdogs don't come much more awkward than Carrie White (so memorably played by Sissy Spacek), the timid, tragic heroine of Brian De Palma's freaky Stephen King adaptation.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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More timid than her siblings, Sheryl told Arcadia News that Sonora refused to dance at her first recital.—
Nicole Briese,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Back in August, Renner spoke about how his terrifying snowplow accident in January 2023 led to his daughter becoming a little more independent.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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The terrifying predicament happened Sunday, March 23, in a wooded area off Interstate 10 in LaPlace, the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a March 26 news release.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Jackson estate explicitly wanted nothing about Chandler in the film, so fact that the allegations do appear has led to a fierce internal dispute and extensive reshoots, Deadline has confirmed.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2025
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The bottom line: The total number of applicants nationwide remains below record highs seen in the 1990s, per the WSJ, but the year-over-year jump still means fierce competition for aspiring lawyers.—
Torey Van Oot,
Axios,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The scary part is how quickly and naturally this thinking could extend to current employees.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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The abyss is a scary thing, and also, perhaps, freedom.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Good news California began trying to police ghost guns after those frightening findings came out, enacting legislation in both 2022 and 2023 to curtail their unregulated sales.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2025
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But the bloodshed that unfolded March 6-10 in Latakia and Tartous represents a frightening escalation.—
Chris Massaro,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This alarming probability briefly landed the asteroid atop impact risk lists maintained by NASA and the European Space Agency, triggering planetary defense discussions and prompting intensive follow-up observations to refine the object's trajectory.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Number Purchased by Readers: 123 Crest 3D Whitestrips Teeth Whitening Kit What to Know: The Crest 3D whitening kit has 44 strips and two more intensive one-hour treatments.—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fearsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fearsome. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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