What does intimidate mean?
Intimidate means to frighten someone or make them feel small, uncertain, or unable to act freely. The word often describes the effect of a stern voice, an imposing presence, a display of authority, or a threat, and it can also suggest that someone has been forced into silence or submission. It is used in both everyday and formal contexts: a player may intimidate an opponent, while a manager's behaviour may intimidate staff. Compared with the broader word frighten, intimidate more precisely conveys fear mixed with a sense of being overpowered or daunted. The related noun intimidation is common in discussions of threats, bullying, and intimidation tactics.
verbTo make someone feel afraid or intimidated, especially by displaying strength, authority, or a threatening manner. It can also mean to make someone feel inferior or daunted.
- To make someone feel afraid or frightened, especially by threatening behaviour or an appearance of power.
- To make someone feel inferior, hesitant, or unwilling to act through intimidation.
"The team's determined confidence intimidated their opponents before the match began."
"His sharp tone intimidated the new employee."
"The scale of the project intimidated some of the younger designers."
The word intimidate comes from the same Latin root as timid: both are built on the idea of making someone feel afraid or unsettled.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intimidate come from?
Intimidate comes from the Latin verb intimidare, formed from in- meaning 'into' or 'upon' and timidus, meaning 'timid' or 'faint-hearted'. In Latin, the verb meant to make timid or to weaken through fear. English borrowed it in the 17th century, initially in the sense of making afraid or rendering timid. Its relatives include timid, timidity, and intimidation, all of which reflect the same Latin root associated with fear and hesitancy.
Related word forms
How intimidate is actually used
Intimidate is usually transitive and carries a deliberately threatening or overpowering nuance. It is common in formal and professional contexts, such as discussions of bullying, witnesses, competitors, and workplace conduct.
Easily confused with intimidate
To intimidate means to frighten or make someone feel overawed, whereas to imitate means to copy another person's behaviour, style, or work.