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ASVAB · Synonym Recognition

FORMIDABLE most nearly means:

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Correct answer

Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, or capable

  1. A Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively large, powerful, or capable
  2. B Simple
  3. C Weak
  4. D Friendly

Why this is the answer

Formidable means inspiring fear or respect; difficult to overcome or deal with due to impressive size, strength, or ability. A formidable opponent is one that will be very difficult to defeat. Root: Latin 'formidabilis' = causing fear. Military usage: formidable defenses, formidable firepower, formidable adversary. Positive usage: a formidable athlete has impressive capabilities. Key: formidable always suggests impressive power — whether in an opponent (difficult to overcome) or an ally (impressive capability).
Source: ASVAB WK, Vocabulary — Formidable

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This question is from our ASVAB Practice Tests practice test. Take the full practice test to test your knowledge across all Synonym Recognition and other topics.

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About this topic: Synonym Recognition

Word Knowledge is mostly synonym questions: a word, sometimes in a short sentence, and four choices. Eliminate the words you know are wrong, use roots and prefixes on the rest, and never leave a blank — there is no penalty for guessing. This is one of 39 Word Knowledge questions on synonym recognition, each with a full explanation on a single study page.

New to this exam? Our ASVAB exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

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