intimidate Definition
- 1frighten or overawe (someone), especially in order to make them do what one wants
- 2make timid or fearful
Using intimidate: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "intimidate" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
He tries to intimidate his opponents.
Example
The boss intimidated his employees into working overtime.
Example
She refused to be intimidated by their threats.
Example
The large dog intimidated the smaller ones.
intimidate Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using intimidate
Example
He put the frighteners on his opponent with his aggressive behavior.
Example
The horror movie scared the living daylights out of me.
Example
The thought of being alone in the dark made her blood run cold.
Phrases with intimidate
to force someone to do something by making them feel afraid
Example
He tried to intimidate her into signing the contract.
to obtain something from someone by making them feel afraid
Example
The thief intimidated the old lady out of her purse.
to use something as a means of frightening or threatening someone
Example
The gangsters intimidated him with their weapons.
Origins of intimidate
from Medieval Latin 'intimidare', from Latin 'in-' (into) + 'timidus' (fearful)
Summary: intimidate in Brief
To 'intimidate' [ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt] is to frighten or overawe someone, often to make them do what one wants. It can also mean to make someone timid or fearful. Examples include 'He tries to intimidate his opponents.' and 'The large dog intimidated the smaller ones.' Phrases like 'intimidate into' and 'intimidate out of' describe using fear to force or obtain something, while idioms like 'put the frighteners on someone' and 'scare the living daylights out of someone' denote extreme intimidation.
