redoubtable
A person who elicits respectA person who elicits respect.
» She was politely described as a redoubtable dowager.
Meaning
2 senses(humorous, in the plural, often, sometimes)A person who elicits respect.
Ehrfurcht einflößende Person, respekteinflößende Person
(in the plural, often)A person who elicits dread or fear; a formidable person.
furchteinflößende Person
Examples
1 sentencesShe was politely described as a redoubtable dowager.
Translations
1 languagesBy meaning 2
Origin
The adjective is derived from Late Middle English redoutable (“worthy of honour, venerableThe adjective is derived from Late Middle English redoutable (“worthy of honour, venerable; frightening, terrible”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman redoutable and Middle French redoutable, redoubtable, from Old French redotable (modern French redoutable), from redoter (“to fear”) (whence Middle French redoubter, redouter, French redouter) + -able (suffix meaning ‘deserving of, worthy of’). Redoter is derived from re- (intensifying prefix) + doter (“to doubt; to fear”) (from Latin dubitō (“to doubt, be uncertain, waver in opinion”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dwi- (“apart, asunder; two”) + *bʰuH- (“to appear; to be; to become; to grow”), in the sense of being in two minds). By surface analysis, redoubt (“to dread”) + -able.
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Forms
plural: redoubtables| Singular | redoubtable |
|---|---|
| Plural | redoubtables |
regular