What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
threaten
Example
He threatened to sue me if I didn't pay him back. [threatened: past tense]
Example
The dark clouds threatened to ruin our picnic. [threatened: verb]
intimidate
Example
The boss intimidated his employees into working overtime. [intimidated: past tense]
Example
She felt intimidated by the group of strangers staring at her. [intimidated: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Threaten is more commonly used than intimidate in everyday language. Threaten is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while intimidate is less common and often associated with more extreme or violent behavior.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between threaten and intimidate?
While threaten is typically associated with a formal or legal tone, intimidate is more informal and can be employed in various formality levels, allowing it to be used in both formal and informal contexts.
