intimidating

American  

[in-tim-i-dey-ting] / ɪnˈtɪm ɪˌdeɪ tɪŋ /

adjective

1. Sometimes intimidatory intended to frighten someone or to force or stop someone’s action through fear.

   We will not be sucked in to your macho agenda by intimidating threats of violence or seductive promises of power.

2. causing timidity, hesitancy, or anxiety, especially because of difficulty or risk; daunting.

   The day-to-day operations of the healthcare environment can be overwhelming and intimidating to the point of paralysis.

3. causing someone to feel overawed or cowed, as through force of personality or superior display of wealth, talent, rank, etc..

   All the others had gone to Harvard or Yale, and I was just a country hick; it was intimidating, for sure.

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Other Word Forms

• unintimidating
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of intimidating

intimidat(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Explanation

Someone or something that causes fear is intimidating. Bullies are intimidating. Anyone or anything that is fearsome, daunting, or terrifying could be called intimidating. Looking at a huge list of vocabulary words is intimidating. Any difficult job can be intimidating. Lots of people find public speaking intimidating. Climbing into the mouth of a volcano and trying to take a photograph for National Geographic would be extremely intimidating, because you could die, and if you don't, what if your pictures aren't that good?

Example Sentences

Feedback conversations become less intimidating when they follow a predictable cadence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Writing on X, he challenged Lockhart to look into what the area has to offer "rather than standing with masked men intimidating women & children".

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

It suggests that even one of nature's most intimidating forces can potentially be redirected to address some of the world's most urgent environmental challenges.

From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026

I’m someone who’s pathologically chatty, and so talking to Greg, who is completely fine with there being pauses in conversation, and is just a confident grown-up, it was incredibly intimidating.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

Somehow, close up, he looked tired and weathered, less intimidating than he had at the meeting.

From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate

Related Words

• aggressive
• frightening
• terrifying