Synonyms

browbeat

American

[brou-beet] / ˈbraʊˌbit /

verb (used with object)

browbeat, browbeaten, browbeating

to intimidate by overbearing looks or words; bully.

They browbeat him into agreeing.

Synonyms:

coerce, harass, tyrannize, badger, cow

browbeat British

/ ˈbraʊˌbiːt /

verb

(tr) to discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

browbeater noun

Etymology

Origin of browbeat

First recorded in 1575–85; brow + beat

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For him, in fact, the swagger and browbeating are often an integral part of the negotiating process.

From BBC

But when things started to get "really crazy", she browbeat her parents into coming with her.

From BBC

Still, he insists on browbeating others to support a cause as lost as, well, making fetch happen.

From Salon

He’d rather sleep late than wake up before dawn for a grueling day of fixing cars under his brother’s browbeating supervision.

From Los Angeles Times

She often used a combination of charm and intense browbeating to convince the most reluctant members of the community to speak out in print or on TV.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023