Intimidate
/ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/verb
To frighten someone, especially in order to make them do what one wants.
The larger boys were always trying to intimidate the smaller children at school.
Often appears as...
- intimidate someone into
- intimidate someone with
verb
To make someone feel less confident and slightly frightened, especially because of the size, importance, or difficulty of something.
The prospect of facing an audience can intimidate even the most experienced speaker.
Often appears as...
- intimidated by something
- intimidate into silence
verb
To frighten someone, especially in order to make them do what one wants.
The larger boys were always trying to intimidate the smaller children at school.
Often appears as...
- intimidate someone into
- intimidate someone with
verb
To make someone feel less confident and slightly frightened, especially because of the size, importance, or difficulty of something.
The prospect of facing an audience can intimidate even the most experienced speaker.
Often appears as...
- intimidated by something
- intimidate into silence
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Power Dynamics
Showcases a power imbalance where the intimidator uses their position or strength to influence others.
The manager would often intimidate his team to work overtime without pay.
Pro Tip 2/3Fear Inducing
Emphasizes fear as a tool to control or manipulate someone's actions.
The guard dog was trained to intimidate trespassers just by growling.
Pro Tip 3/3Subtle Tactics
Can involve non-physical forms of pressure, like verbal threats or aggressive body language.
With just a stern glance, the lead actress would intimidate her co-star.
Compare with
bullycoercedauntfrightenmenacescareterrifyterrorizethreaten
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Video examples
Greatest Fights In The...
peacefully but crocs will take every opportunity to prey on a weak animal or scavenge a dead one we've seen one or two of these hippos doing these big yawning displays which is really a threat to the crocodiles they're trying to drive the crocodiles off with this big yawn and you know sharp teeth and everything but the crocs obviously are not intimidated
Video examples
Discovering Wildlife in...
So that's where it likes to hunt all of its invertebrates. It's very quick, and it's also got a couple of defence mechanisms and threat displays so it can raise up its abdomen a bit like a scorpion, it does a scorpion like pose, and that's to intimidate its predators. It also, if it needs to, can spray out a foul smelling liquid out of its abdomen.
Video examples
Filming The Kangaroo...
incredible moment i remember sitting there looking at the screen thinking wow what an amazing shot and then looking up and thinking oh that's quite close isn't it luckily they're not intimidated by people and they're not aggressive to people so it was a nice situation for being able to observe natural behavior without interfering
Video examples
Attacked by a Lion? PIPE...
-He looks more relaxed than I feel anyway. -Napoli. For nature's extreme fighters, intimidation is just as important as actual fighting. It's better to scare off a rival than risk death in battle, and believe me, I was definitely feeling intimidated. -Pet him. -Pat him?
Video examples
On sincere and authentic...
go into my first meeting at the White House I wasn't intimidated about going to meeting the White House have been appropriator and intelligence this or that committee but when I went into the door of this meeting first leadership meeting with the president the vice
Video examples
The world’s most...
For most humans, farts are a welcome relief, an embarrassing incident, or an opportunity for a gas-based gag. But for many other creatures, farts are no laughing matter. Deep in the bowels of the animal kingdom, farts can serve as tools of intimidation,
Video examples
What if a US presidential...
Maybe we need to rethink, reimagine or just get rid of this whole electoral college, extra inning thing in the first place. I know for sure we've got to do a better job of protecting voter rights, of prosecuting voter intimidation
Video examples
Magnificent Whale...
hunt up a gear the jumping the splashing and the tail slaps are all meant to intimidate the sea lion and drive him out of the kelp i don't believe what's happening this is the most incredible wildlife drama i think i've ever seen
Video examples
Beloved Rhino Prepares...
now meet a gentle giant she's not waiting to get pregnant she's waiting to give birth this is bihan a one and a half ton indian rhino at whitsnaid zoo she may look intimidating but bihan is a sweetie
Video examples
Wolf Hunting Tactics PIPE...
mother grizzly knows how to protect its cub and itself stand your ground don't be intimidated don't let the gray wolves run you down
Video examples
Greatest Fights In The...
peacefully but crocs will take every opportunity to prey on a weak animal or scavenge a dead one we've seen one or two of these hippos doing these big yawning displays which is really a threat to the crocodiles they're trying to drive the crocodiles off with this big yawn and you know sharp teeth and everything but the crocs obviously are not intimidated
Video examples
Discovering Wildlife in...
So that's where it likes to hunt all of its invertebrates. It's very quick, and it's also got a couple of defence mechanisms and threat displays so it can raise up its abdomen a bit like a scorpion, it does a scorpion like pose, and that's to intimidate its predators. It also, if it needs to, can spray out a foul smelling liquid out of its abdomen.
Video examples
Filming The Kangaroo...
incredible moment i remember sitting there looking at the screen thinking wow what an amazing shot and then looking up and thinking oh that's quite close isn't it luckily they're not intimidated by people and they're not aggressive to people so it was a nice situation for being able to observe natural behavior without interfering
Video examples
Attacked by a Lion? PIPE...
-He looks more relaxed than I feel anyway. -Napoli. For nature's extreme fighters, intimidation is just as important as actual fighting. It's better to scare off a rival than risk death in battle, and believe me, I was definitely feeling intimidated. -Pet him. -Pat him?
Video examples
On sincere and authentic...
go into my first meeting at the White House I wasn't intimidated about going to meeting the White House have been appropriator and intelligence this or that committee but when I went into the door of this meeting first leadership meeting with the president the vice
Video examples
The world’s most...
For most humans, farts are a welcome relief, an embarrassing incident, or an opportunity for a gas-based gag. But for many other creatures, farts are no laughing matter. Deep in the bowels of the animal kingdom, farts can serve as tools of intimidation,
Video examples
What if a US presidential...
Maybe we need to rethink, reimagine or just get rid of this whole electoral college, extra inning thing in the first place. I know for sure we've got to do a better job of protecting voter rights, of prosecuting voter intimidation
Video examples
Magnificent Whale...
hunt up a gear the jumping the splashing and the tail slaps are all meant to intimidate the sea lion and drive him out of the kelp i don't believe what's happening this is the most incredible wildlife drama i think i've ever seen
Video examples
Beloved Rhino Prepares...
now meet a gentle giant she's not waiting to get pregnant she's waiting to give birth this is bihan a one and a half ton indian rhino at whitsnaid zoo she may look intimidating but bihan is a sweetie
Video examples
Wolf Hunting Tactics PIPE...
mother grizzly knows how to protect its cub and itself stand your ground don't be intimidated don't let the gray wolves run you down
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Kumail Nanjiani
Pakistani Comedian
I know a lot of brown actors who play terrorists because they're physically intimidating. For me, it was like, 'O.K., you'll be the nerd.' So I've played the nerd. I've played food-delivery guys. But I always tried to find something in the characters so that they weren't just defined by what they looked like.
Quote examples
Evelyne Brochu
Canadian Actress
Once, I was going to a film event, and someone told me not to wear high heels to it. They said that it might intimidate the men. For some reason, I was ready to take their cue, but about an hour later, something in my head started ringing, and I thought, 'That is the worst advice anybody's ever given me.
Quote examples
Francis Ngannou
Cameroonian Athlete
The one who intimidates me is myself. I'm scared to fail. That is the thing that makes me the most afraid, to fail. Just to think that I can do a mistake and lose the fight scares me, so that is why I work out a lot: to bring more chance to my size and less chance to my opponent.
Quote examples
Joe Bastianich
American Chef
The stories of wine lords who trade wine on intimidation or food critics who trade free meals for reviews... those are the stories of my life. I am telling the stories of my life in a true way.
Quote examples
Nikki Reed
American Actress
I play characters that are pretty; I play characters that are sort of intimidating and confident, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm that.
Quote examples
Donatella Versace
Italian Designer
Powerful women intimidate men. If she's a really well-known woman, she has a career, she's famous - in that case, men are really afraid.
Quote examples
Joey Fatone
American Musician
Performing in front of a live audience can be pretty intimidating, so having a full head of hair was important to me.
Quote examples
Jessica Simpson
American Musician
Weight Watchers is not intimidating. It's not a diet. It's a lifestyle.
Quote examples
Marie Helvin
American Model
Men are intimidated by me: I very rarely get asked out.
Quote examples
Olivia Newton-John
Musician
I love life and nothing intimidates me anymore.
Quote examples
Kumail Nanjiani
Pakistani Comedian
I know a lot of brown actors who play terrorists because they're physically intimidating. For me, it was like, 'O.K., you'll be the nerd.' So I've played the nerd. I've played food-delivery guys. But I always tried to find something in the characters so that they weren't just defined by what they looked like.
Quote examples
Evelyne Brochu
Canadian Actress
Once, I was going to a film event, and someone told me not to wear high heels to it. They said that it might intimidate the men. For some reason, I was ready to take their cue, but about an hour later, something in my head started ringing, and I thought, 'That is the worst advice anybody's ever given me.
Quote examples
Francis Ngannou
Cameroonian Athlete
The one who intimidates me is myself. I'm scared to fail. That is the thing that makes me the most afraid, to fail. Just to think that I can do a mistake and lose the fight scares me, so that is why I work out a lot: to bring more chance to my size and less chance to my opponent.
Quote examples
Joe Bastianich
American Chef
The stories of wine lords who trade wine on intimidation or food critics who trade free meals for reviews... those are the stories of my life. I am telling the stories of my life in a true way.
Quote examples
Nikki Reed
American Actress
I play characters that are pretty; I play characters that are sort of intimidating and confident, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm that.
Quote examples
Donatella Versace
Italian Designer
Powerful women intimidate men. If she's a really well-known woman, she has a career, she's famous - in that case, men are really afraid.
Quote examples
Joey Fatone
American Musician
Performing in front of a live audience can be pretty intimidating, so having a full head of hair was important to me.
Quote examples
Jessica Simpson
American Musician
Weight Watchers is not intimidating. It's not a diet. It's a lifestyle.
Quote examples
Marie Helvin
American Model
Men are intimidated by me: I very rarely get asked out.
Quote examples
Olivia Newton-John
Musician
I love life and nothing intimidates me anymore.
Example 1 of 10
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