In order to know the meaning of the term formidable, it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it derives from Latin, exactly from "formidabilis", which is the result of the sum of two lexical components of said language:
-The verb "formidare", which can be translated as "fear".
-The possibility suffix «-bilis».
The first meaning mentioned by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary refers to that which causes terror or great astonishment .
The most common use of the notion, however, is linked to something that is spectacular , majestic or grandiose . The formidable, in this sense, has very positive qualities .
For example: "The Czech tennis player played a formidable match and managed to achieve victory in two sets" , "My grandmother was a formidable woman, she raised her eight children alone in the middle of the field" , "The German pianist offered a formidable concert which lasted almost three hours .
Among the synonyms of formidable we can highlight some such as enormous, gigantic, colossal, brutal, stupendous, magnificent or fantastic. On the contrary, among the most significant antonyms are fatal, terrible, terrible, unfortunate, unfortunate ...
The concept can be used in multiple areas. A literary critic can assure that a novel is formidable when its plot is captivating, the characters are very well developed and the intrigue is maintained until the end of the work. A formidable footballer , on the other hand, is one who manages to stand out for his ability, reaching a very good level of play.
Like all qualifications, considering whether or not something is formidable depends on subjectivity . A person can affirm that the president of a country is formidable since he develops measures that, in his opinion, are favorable for all inhabitants. Another individual, on the other hand, may consider that said president is disastrous because he executes policies that only favor the richest. The same subject, therefore, can be mentioned as someone formidable or as a nefarious being depending on different points of life.
In addition to all of the above, we cannot ignore that in the field of culture the term in question has been used on numerous occasions to give titles to different works. A good example of this is the novel "La luz formidable", written by the Madrid writer Patricia Ruiz-Espejo.
It revolves around two brothers, Álex and Sacha, who during the night of a weekend meet a mysterious woman, Valeria, who will make them experience emotions, feelings and adventures that they had never enjoyed or experienced before.
In the same way, we should not forget the novel «The sound of life. A formidable and epic family saga", which is written by Alex George and tells the story of a four-generation family that has its origins in Germany in 1904, when two young people flee from there to the New World ready to live their love. .