Formidolous

/fɔːrˈmɪdələs/ adjective

Definition

Fearful, timid, or dreadful; inspiring or feeling fear.

Etymology

From Latin 'formidolosus' (fearful, dreadful) from 'formido' (fear, dread). This archaic or rare English adjective directly preserves the Latin term meaning characterized by or causing fear.

Kelly Says

Formidolous is one of those delightfully obscure English words that hardly anyone uses anymore, but it preserves the original Latin meaning perfectly—it literally means 'full of dread,' and it's a more poetic alternative to saying something is fearful.

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