redoubtable

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French redoutable (spelled redoubtable in early modern French).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈdaʊ.tə.bəl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

redoubtable (comparative more redoubtable, superlative most redoubtable)

1. Eliciting respect or fear; imposing; awe-inspiring.

   The redoubtable New York Times has been called the "newspaper of record" of the United States.

   • 1941 September, O. S. Nock, “The Locomotives of Sir Nigel Gresley: Part V”, in Railway Magazine, page 396:

     This new batch was sent to Leicester shed, and the redoubtable enginemen who had made such a reputation for themselves with the ex-G.C.R. Atlantics took to the "B17s" immediately, although, of course, they required quite different driving methods; [...].

   • 2022 November 2, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, page 57:

     Three local yobs have also joined, but they have not reckoned on a redoubtable Conductor and two local revenue protection officers who soon escort them off the train!

2. (obsolete) Valiant.

Derived terms

• redoubtableness
• redoubtably
• unredoubtable

 

Translations

awe-inspiring

• Bulgarian: страшен (bg) (strašen), респектиращ (bg) (respektirašt)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 令人生畏的

• Czech: budící respekt, obávaný
• Finnish: kunnianarvoisa
• French: redoutable (fr)
• German: ehrfurchterweckend, respekteinflößend (de), ehrfurchtgebietend
• Irish: forránta, mórghníomhach
• Maori: kaiora, marutuna
• Polish: wzbudzający respekt

References

• “redoubtable”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

French

Adjective

redoubtable (plural redoubtables)

1. Archaic spelling of redoutable.

Middle French

Adjective

redoubtable m or f (plural redoubtables)

1. fearsome

Descendants

• French: redoutable