Intimidate

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1. Definition + Rich Everyday Explanation

Intimidate (verb) = to frighten or threaten someone, often to make them feel inferior, nervous, or to force them to do something; to make someone feel inadequate through displays of power, skill, or confidence.

“Intimidate” is about creating fear — making someone feel smaller, weaker, or less confident through your presence, behaviour, words, or abilities. When you intimidate someone, you make them afraid to act, speak up, or challenge you.

The word works on two levels: deliberate threat and unintentional effect.

In its threatening sense, intimidation is often deliberate and aggressive. Bullies intimidate victims. Criminals intimidate witnesses. Bosses might intimidate employees into silence. This kind of intimidation uses fear as a weapon — threatening consequences (explicit or implied) to control behaviour. This is serious territory; intimidating witnesses is a crime, and workplace intimidation is a form of harassment.

But intimidation isn’t always malicious. People can be intimidated unintentionally — simply by someone’s talent, success, intelligence, or confidence. A brilliant colleague might intimidate you without meaning to. A beautiful person might intimidate potential romantic partners. A difficult exam intimidates students. In these cases, the intimidation comes from feeling inadequate by comparison, not from any actual threat.

The adjective “intimidating” is extremely common. “She’s intimidating” might mean she’s threatening and scary, or simply that her competence makes others feel nervous. Context determines whether it’s criticism or backhanded compliment.

Being “intimidated” describes the emotional state of feeling threatened, nervous, or inadequate. “Don’t be intimidated” is common encouragement — urging someone not to let fear hold them back.

Examples from the street:

• “He tried to intimidate the witness into changing her story” → he attempted to frighten her into lying
• “I found the interview panel quite intimidating” → the group of interviewers made me feel nervous and inadequate
• “Don’t let the big words intimidate you — the concept is actually simple” → don’t let complicated vocabulary frighten you away

2. Most Common Patterns

• intimidate someone (into + gerund) → frighten someone into doing something
• be / feel intimidated (by someone/something) → experience fear or inadequacy
• intimidating + noun (presence / figure / task) → something that causes fear or nervousness
• find someone/something intimidating → personally experience something as frightening
• don’t be intimidated (by) → encouragement not to let fear control you
• try to / attempt to intimidate → make deliberate effort to frighten

3. Phrasal Verbs

Note: There are no common phrasal verbs directly containing “intimidate” — these are related expressions about frightening and pressuring:

• back down → retreat from a position due to pressure or intimidation

  Example: “She refused to back down despite his attempts to intimidate her.”

• push around → bully or dominate someone, treat them as inferior

  Example: “Don’t let him push you around — stand up for yourself.”

• scare off → frighten someone away from doing something

  Example: “The complex application process scares off many potential candidates.”

4. Example Sentences

1. The gang tried to intimidate local shopkeepers into paying protection money

   → The criminals attempted to frighten business owners into handing over cash.

2. I felt intimidated by all the experienced professionals in the room

   → The presence of so many expert people made me feel nervous and inadequate.

3. She has an intimidating presence that commands instant respect

   → Her manner creates a sense of awe that makes people immediately pay attention.

4. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the book — it’s actually an easy read

   → Don’t let the number of pages frighten you; the content is straightforward.

5. Witnesses were intimidated into silence by threats against their families

   → People who saw what happened were frightened into staying quiet through menacing their relatives.

6. Some students find speaking English in public extremely intimidating

   → Certain learners experience great fear about using the language in front of others.

7. He uses his physical size to intimidate people who disagree with him

   → He relies on his large body to frighten those who challenge his views.

8. The sheer scale of the project was intimidating at first

   → The massive size of the work initially felt overwhelming and scary.

9. She refused to be intimidated by his aggressive questioning

   → She wouldn’t let his hostile interrogation make her feel afraid or back down.

10. Her confidence intimidates people without her even realising it

    → Her self-assurance makes others feel nervous though she’s unaware of the effect.

5. Personal Examples

1. Many learners feel intimidated by native speakers and avoid conversation, but most native speakers are patient and encouraging — the fear is often worse than the reality

   → Numerous students are frightened of talking with fluent speakers and stay silent, yet most first-language users are supportive and understanding; the anxiety typically exceeds the actual experience.

2. Advanced vocabulary can intimidate intermediate learners, which is why I introduce difficult words gradually with plenty of context rather than overwhelming lists

   → Sophisticated words can frighten mid-level students, so I present challenging terms slowly with lots of supporting information instead of daunting catalogues.

6. Register: Neutral

✔ Native usage tips

• “I find them intimidating” = the polite admission that someone makes you nervous — could be threat or just their impressive presence
• “Don’t be intimidated” = the standard encouragement before something scary — exams, interviews, meeting important people
• “Intimidating presence” = someone who commands attention and makes others feel small — can be compliment or criticism
• Legal territory: “Witness intimidation” = serious crime; threatening people to change testimony
• Workplace context: “Creating an intimidating environment” = HR language for bullying behaviour
• Sports psychology: “Don’t let the crowd intimidate you” = advice about performing under pressure
• Dating context: “She’s too intimidating to approach” = she seems so impressive that asking her out feels impossible
• Job interviews: “The panel was quite intimidating” = universal experience of feeling nervous facing multiple questioners
• Backhanded compliment: “You’re intimidating” = you’re impressive but you make people uncomfortable
• Self-defence: “Never let anyone intimidate you” = empowerment message about standing your ground
• Academic context: “Don’t let the material intimidate you” = encouragement that difficult subjects are conquerable

✔ Similar expressions / words

• Frighten → cause fear; more general and less about power dynamics than intimidate
• Threaten → express intention to harm; more direct and explicit than intimidate, which can be subtle
• Daunt → discourage through fear of difficulty; more formal and literary; intimidate is more common in everyday speech