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Formidable vs Abysmal - What's the difference?

formidable | abysmal |

As adjectives the difference between formidable and abysmal

is that formidable is causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality; commanding respect; causing wonder or astonishment while abysmal is (now|rare) pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; unending; profound; fathomless; immeasurable .

formidable

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • causing fear, dread, awe or admiration as a result of size, strength, or some other impressive quality; commanding respect; causing wonder or astonishment
  • difficult to defeat or overcome
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=May 9 , author=John Percy , title=Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report , work=the Telegraph citation , page= , passage=Holloway has unfinished business in the Premier League after relegation last year and he will make a swift return if he can overcome West Ham a week on Saturday. Sam Allardyce, the West Ham manager, will be acutely aware that when the stakes are high, Blackpool are simply formidable .}}

    abysmal

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (now, rare) Pertaining to, or resembling an abyss; unending; profound; fathomless; immeasurable.
  • * Carlyle
  • Geology gives one the same abysmal extent of time that astronomy does of space.
  • (figurative, colloquial) Bottomless; extremely bad.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012
  • , date=June 9 , author=Owen Phillips , title=Euro 2012: Netherlands 0-1 Denmark , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Robben curled an effort against the foot of the post from the edge of the box after being gifted the ball by an abysmal clearance from keeper Stephan Andersen.}}

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "abysmal" is often applied: ignorance, record, performance, poverty, conditions, quality, perplexity, result, and failure.

    References