intimidate

American  

[in-tim-i-deyt] / ɪnˈtɪm ɪˌdeɪt /

verb (used with object)

intimidated, intimidating

1. to make timid; fill with fear.

   Synonyms:

   terrify, daunt, subdue, frighten

   Antonyms:

   calm

2. to overawe or cow, as through the force of personality or by superior display of wealth, talent, etc.

3. to force into or deter from some action by inducing fear.

   to intimidate a voter into staying away from the polls.

   Antonyms:

   encourage

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intimidate British  

/ ɪnˈtɪmɪˌdeɪt /

verb

1. to make timid or frightened; scare

2. to discourage, restrain, or silence illegally or unscrupulously, as by threats or blackmail

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Related Words

See discourage.

Other Word Forms

• intimidating adjective
• intimidation noun
• intimidator noun
• intimidatory adjective

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; in- ², timid, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

It’s intimidating to see how much you spend, but truly understanding your habits is the only way to build a smart financial plan that survives when things go south.

From MarketWatch

It was going to take a lot more than a little ventriloquy to intimidate him.

From Literature

This posture likely helped them reach leaves high in trees and may have made them look larger and more intimidating to predators.

From Science Daily

In February, the BBC heard from senior managers who said they personally had felt intimidated and afraid to speak up in front of the most senior executives.

From BBC

Estrosi, who is a vocal supporter of Israel and whose wife is Jewish, denounced the act as despicable and said he wouldn’t be intimidated.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• alarm
• awe
• bully
• coerce
• constrain
• daunt
• dishearten
• dismay
• scare
• subdue
• terrify
• terrorize