intimidate
Americanverb (used with object)
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intimidates,
present (3rd person singular)
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intimidated,
past participle, past
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intimidating
present participle
verb
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to make timid or frightened; scare
-
to discourage, restrain, or silence illegally or unscrupulously, as by threats or blackmail
Synonym Usage
See discourage.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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intimidatesimple
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intimidatessimple
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have intimidatedperfect
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has intimidatedperfect
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am intimidatingprogressive
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are intimidatingprogressive
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is intimidatingprogressive
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have been intimidatingperfect progressive
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has been intimidatingperfect progressive
Past
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intimidatedsimple
-
had intimidatedperfect
-
was intimidatingprogressive
-
were intimidatingprogressive
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had been intimidatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of intimidate
First recorded in 1640–50; from Medieval Latin intimidātus, past participle of intimidāre “to make afraid,” equivalent to Latin in- verb-formative prefix + timid(us) “afraid” + -ātus past participle suffix; see in- 2, timid, -ate 1
Explanation
You can see "timid" in the middle of intimidate, and to be timid is to be frightened or to pull back from something. When you intimidate, you frighten or make someone afraid. A pet rat might intimidate your sister's friends, keeping them out of your fort. "To frighten" or "make fearful" is at the root of the verb intimidate. An animal might intimidate a smaller animal by bearing its teeth, and a person can intimidate another by threatening to do something harmful. You can be intimidated with mental or emotional bullying, as well as with something physical: "they were all good spellers, but some of them knew how to intimidate the competition into thinking they didn't have a chance at winning the spelling bee."
Vocabulary lists containing intimidate
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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The Breadwinner
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Twelve Angry Men
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
At his peak, he could intimidate established incumbents into retiring.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
“These crimes are meant to intimidate entire communities and weaken the trust that holds us together,” he said in a statement Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Instead, in stages linked to Israeli withdrawals, the weapons would be decommissioned and stored by precisely the people whom Hamas can intimidate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
"The court has reaffirmed that the government cannot use its legal powers to intimidate reporters or erode the independence of the press."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
She was a pickled onion, and I wasn’t about to let her intimidate me.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Offering a lot to process—historically, technically and visually—“Sèvres Extraordinaire!” is that rare species of exhibition that impresses and intimidates in equal measure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2025
Second, and crucially, it intimidates opponents into silence and quiescence.
From Slate ● Dec. 6, 2024
“We’ve seen that this system suppresses and intimidates the majority of children,” said Salwa Duaibis, co-founder of Military Court Watch, a Palestinian legal advocacy group.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 5, 2023
The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 allows for prosecution if a photographer threatens, stalks, intimidates or causes distress.
From Reuters ● May 18, 2023
When he looks at the Mona Lisa, he sees the same contradictory mix, and it intimidates him.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
She’s not intimidated by even the most far-flung destinations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Before attending a memorial service for the victims in central Berlin's Marienkirche, Chancellor Friedrich Merz appealed to those targeted by the attack to "not let yourselves be intimidated".
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
But even the director himself was a little intimidated as he began adapting Homer's 2,700-year old story.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Uzbekistan, playing in its first World Cup, was not intimidated by the big stage, weathering a withering Colombia attack in a 3-1 loss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
I admired him for not being intimidated by my sass.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
Alongside action on rogue tradespeople, the government has announced plans to regulate private bailiffs in England and Wales, to protect people in debt from "intimidating behaviour, unfair treatment or being pushed into excessive repayment arrangements".
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
He came to the Dodgers in a trade from the Chicago White Sox in December 1971 with an 84-91 record, a good curveball and a less than intimidating fastball.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Here, “Tony” is in its element as Johnson crafts the intimidating yet irresistible camaraderie of a kitchen, and all of the misfits who work inside it.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
The behavioral economists and financial planners I spoke with agree that sometimes we need to make things easier on our brains, especially when building good money habits can feel intimidating and elusive to so many.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
For some reason, the thought of that was intimidating.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
