Formidably means in a way that inspires respect, fear, or awe because of impressive size, strength, skill, or difficulty. When a chess champion plays formidably, they demonstrate such powerful strategy that opponents feel intimidated before making a single move. A formidably tall mountain presents a daunting challenge to climbers.

The word comes from formidable, which describes something impressively powerful or capable. A formidably intelligent scientist might solve problems that stump entire research teams. A castle with formidably thick walls would be nearly impossible for armies to breach.

Notice that formidably often suggests a mixture of admiration and challenge. When your teacher is formidably knowledgeable about ancient Rome, you respect their expertise even while feeling the pressure to keep up in class. A formidably talented musician makes performing look effortless, though you know the skill behind it took years to develop.

The word emphasizes capability and impressiveness rather than simple difficulty. A math problem might be hard, but a formidably difficult math problem would challenge even experts. When someone accomplishes something formidably well, they've performed at a level that commands serious respect.