intimidate
Americanverb (used with object)
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intimidates,
present (3rd person singular)
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intimidated,
past participle, past
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intimidating
present participle
verb
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to make timid or frightened; scare
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to discourage, restrain, or silence illegally or unscrupulously, as by threats or blackmail
Synonym Usage
See discourage.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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intimidatesimple
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intimidatessimple
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have intimidatedperfect
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has intimidatedperfect
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am intimidatingprogressive
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are intimidatingprogressive
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is intimidatingprogressive
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have been intimidatingperfect progressive
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has been intimidatingperfect progressive
Past
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intimidatedsimple
-
had intimidatedperfect
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was intimidatingprogressive
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were intimidatingprogressive
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had been intimidatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intimidate
First recorded in 1640–50; from Medieval Latin intimidātus, past participle of intimidāre “to make afraid,” equivalent to Latin in- verb-formative prefix + timid(us) “afraid” + -ātus past participle suffix; see in- 2, timid, -ate 1
Explanation
You can see "timid" in the middle of intimidate, and to be timid is to be frightened or to pull back from something. When you intimidate, you frighten or make someone afraid. A pet rat might intimidate your sister's friends, keeping them out of your fort. "To frighten" or "make fearful" is at the root of the verb intimidate. An animal might intimidate a smaller animal by bearing its teeth, and a person can intimidate another by threatening to do something harmful. You can be intimidated with mental or emotional bullying, as well as with something physical: "they were all good spellers, but some of them knew how to intimidate the competition into thinking they didn't have a chance at winning the spelling bee."
Vocabulary lists containing intimidate
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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The Breadwinner
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Twelve Angry Men
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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.
See Examples For:
“These crimes are meant to intimidate entire communities and weaken the trust that holds us together,” he said in a statement Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
"The court has reaffirmed that the government cannot use its legal powers to intimidate reporters or erode the independence of the press."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
The lawsuit brought under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 says the groups sought to make an example of Khalil to intimidate the movement for Palestinian rights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
He is so eager to intimidate survivors that he’s willing to pay the price of reminding Americans that E. Jean Carroll — and the harrowing, compelling story she tells — exists.
From Salon ● May 29, 2026
They had chosen the wrong group to try to intimidate.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
Offering a lot to process—historically, technically and visually—“Sèvres Extraordinaire!” is that rare species of exhibition that impresses and intimidates in equal measure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2025
The league says its operations manual strictly prohibits bullying and hazing, which is defined as behavior that “harms, intimidates, offends, degrades, threatens, or humiliates another person or creates a risk to their health or safety.”
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 21, 2023
The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 allows for prosecution if a photographer threatens, stalks, intimidates or causes distress.
From Reuters ● May 18, 2023
In this scene, Nick seems drawn to her pain like a moth to light — this is a vulnerable Frances, not the opaque, sharp-tongued woman whose silence so often disturbs and intimidates him.
From Salon ● May 24, 2022
To be honest, something about the big houses intimidates me, and I’m already nervous.
From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly
She said: "We don't want people to feel intimidated as they go about their business and we want people to feel supported."
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
At one roundabout, 25-year-old Kasim Ramadan gathered with four or five friends, determined not to be intimidated.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
At first I was intimidated, but that didn’t last.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Uzbekistan, playing in its first World Cup, was not intimidated by the big stage, weathering a withering Colombia attack in a 3-1 loss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
Or the Haitian couple who lived a couple of blocks over from Moss, the ones who had the Siamese cat who intimidated passersby from the window.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
He might look intimidating, but his smile and willingness to participate in school gatherings propels others to immediately embrace him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Building good financial habits can feel intimidating and elusive, especially to younger adults.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Schwimmer said the completed mount does more than give museum visitors a sense of the animal's intimidating size.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
But his intimidating onyx armor obscures all that, much in the way Darth Vader’s helmet and cloak overcompensate for his shriveled form.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
It was no longer sweet and melodic but menacing and intimidating.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
