intimidate

  • 1intimidate — intimidate, cow, bulldoze, bully, browbeat are comparable when meaning to frighten or coerce by frightening means into submission or obedience. Intimidate primarily implies a making timid or fearful, but it often suggests a display or application …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 2intimidate — in·tim·i·date /in ti mə ˌdāt/ vt dat·ed, dat·ing 1: to make timid or fearful; esp: to compel or deter by or as if by threats see also coercion 2: to engage in the crime of intimidating (as a witness, juror, public officer in the performance of… …

    Law dictionary

  • 3intimidate — (v.) 1640s, from M.L. intimidatus, pp. of intimidare to frighten, intimidate, from L. in in (see IN (Cf. in ) (2)) + timidus fearful (see TIMID (Cf. timid)). Related: Intimidated; intimidating …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4Intimidate — In*tim i*date, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Intimidated}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Intimidating}.] [LL. intimidatus, p. p. of intimidare to frighten; pref. in in + timidus fearful, timid: cf. F. intimider. See {Timid}.] To make timid or fearful; to inspire of… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 5intimidate — [v] frighten, threaten alarm, appall, awe, badger, bait, bludgeon, bluster, bowl over*, browbeat*, buffalo*, bulldoze*, bully, chill, coerce, compel, constrain, cow*, daunt, dishearten, dismay, dispirit, disquiet, dragoon, enforce, force, hound* …

    New thesaurus

  • 6intimidate — ► VERB ▪ frighten or overawe, especially so as to coerce into doing something. DERIVATIVES intimidation noun intimidator noun intimidatory adjective. ORIGIN Latin intimidare make timid …

    English terms dictionary

  • 7intimidate — [in tim′ə dāt΄] vt. intimidated, intimidating [< ML intimidatus, pp. of intimidare, to make afraid < L in , in + timidus, afraid, TIMID] 1. to make timid; make afraid; daunt 2. to force or deter with threats or violence; cow intimidation n …

    English World dictionary

  • 8intimidate — verb ADVERB ▪ physically, psychologically ▪ Dissidents were physically intimidated, threatened, and harshly interrogated. VERB + INTIMIDATE ▪ try to PREPOSITION …

    Collocations dictionary

  • 9intimidate — 01. Toby is able to [intimidate] the other children because he is so much bigger than them. 02. It is very [intimidating] to speak in front of an audience, especially when you are doing it in a foreign language. 03. With her great intellect and… …

    Grammatical examples in English

  • 10intimidate — v. (D; tr.) to intimidate into (to intimidate smb. into doing smt.) * * * [ɪn tɪmɪdeɪt] (D; tr.) to intimidate into (to intimidate smb. into doing smt.) …

    Combinatory dictionary