intimidated

American  

[in-tim-i-dey-tid] / ɪnˈtɪm ɪˌdeɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. made afraid; frightened, especially by the threats or aggression of another.

   The policy, which applies to all police officers, spells out special measures to identify and protect vulnerable and intimidated witnesses.

2. timid or anxious, especially at the prospect of difficulty or risk; daunted.

   Even after the intensive six-week workshop we all attended, I felt somewhat intimidated given the scope of the task before me.

3. overawed or cowed, as through force of personality or by superior display of wealth, talent, rank, etc..

   I am not from a posh background, and felt very intimidated being in the House of Lords at Westminster.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of intimidate.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unintimidated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of intimidated

intimidate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

When a person has been threatened and made to feel timid, he becomes intimidated. You might be intimidated by a large barking dog, a mean boss, or a pair of skinny jeans you'd love to fit into. The adjective intimidated is derived from the similarly spelled Latin intimidare, meaning “to frighten." Notice within both the English adjective and Latin root another adjective timid, “fearful.” That should help you remember the meaning. Maya Angelou said, “Education helps one cease being intimidated by strange situations.” When you are familiar with something, it becomes less frightful. Synonyms for intimidated include afraid and daunted.

Example Sentences

Recent moves also have intimidated the stock market as longer-dated Treasury yields approached levels last seen in 2007 and an index of global bond yields traded at the highest levels since 2008, according to Bloomberg.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

“He’s also so supportive of my career. A lot of men in my past were really intimidated by my success. They tried to suppress what I was doing or make me feel bad about it.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

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 • Mar. 26, 2026

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 • Mar. 21, 2026

“I’ve just finished a fellowship,” she said, knowing that Aisha would not understand what a fellowship was, and in the rare moment that Aisha looked intimidated, Ifemelu felt a perverse pleasure.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie