formidabile
formidable
adjective for-mee-DAH-bee-leh Rare
Origin: From Latin formidabilis, causing fear.
Also means
tremendous
Usage Note
Formidabile is a false friend for English speakers: in Italian it most commonly means 'wonderful, tremendous, amazing' (una squadra formidabile = a great team) rather than the English sense of 'fearsome.' It is invariable in gender: un risultato formidabile, una vittoria formidabile. The original sense of 'terrifying' is archaic.
Examples
"Ha dato una prestazione formidabile sul palco."
Natural Translation
He gave a tremendous performance on stage.
Related Words
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