intimidating

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˌɪˈntɪmɪˌdeɪtɪŋ/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Having a frightening or threatening quality; causing someone to feel fear or lack of confidence.; Causing someone to feel overwhelmed or daunted, especially due to complexity or difficulty.
  2. verb
    Present participle of intimidate; to frighten or overawe someone, especially to make them do what one wants.

🔗 Details

Word forms

3rd sing.: intimidates Past: intimidated Past part.: intimidated Pres part.: intimidating

Collocations

intimidating presenceintimidating figureintimidating atmospherefind intimidatingdeeply intimidatingphysically intimidating

Derivatives

intimidationintimidatinglyintimidatorintimidatory

Synonyms

threateningfrighteningdauntingmenacingformidablescary

Antonyms

reassuringwelcomingencouraging

Commonly confused

intimate
EN: 'Intimate' means close/personal or to hint; 'intimidate' means to frighten or cow someone.
daunting
EN: 'Daunting' emphasizes difficulty or challenge; 'intimidating' emphasizes fear or threat.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember 'intimidate' has only one 'm' and one 'd' — do not double them. The stress falls on the second syllable: in-TIM-i-date.

💬 Examples

  1. The towering figure of the bouncer at the door was intimidating to the young guests.

  2. The sheer volume of material to study for the exam was intimidating.

  3. The bully was intimidating the smaller children on the playground.