Intimidating — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /in-ˈti-mə-ˌdā-tiŋ/ in·tim·i·dat·ing

Meaning & Definition of Intimidating

Intimidating (adjective)

  1. causing a loss of courage or self-confidence, producing feelings of fear or timidity

Intimidating (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing fear

    "the school's seniors faced the intimidating prospect of the college entrance exams"

    similar: alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying
    related: daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, startling, threatening, troubling, trying, unnerving, bone-chilling, creepy, eerie, weird, appalling, atrocious, awful, grisly, gruesome, hideous, horrid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish
    near: calming, comforting, consoling, inviting, lulling, pacifying, quieting, reassuring, relaxing, soothing, tranquilizing, nonintimidating, nonthreatening

  2. harsh and threatening in manner or appearance

    "an intimidating bodyguard keeping the fans away from the pop star"

    similar: austere, dour, fierce, flinty, forbidding, grim, gruff, lowering, rough, rugged, severe, stark, steely, stern, ungentle
    related: bleak, cold, hostile, inhospitable, inimical, unfriendly, unsympathetic, adamant, bound, determined, firm, intent, purposeful, resolute, resolved, steadfast, unflinching, fixed, hard, hardened, hardheaded, immovable, implacable, inflexible, ironhanded, mulish, obdurate, obstinate, rigid, self-willed, set, stiff, stubborn, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, willful, immutable, unchangeable, black, cheerless, dark, gloomy, glum, joyless, melancholic, moody, morose, sulky, sullen, surly, brooding, grave, humorless, melancholy, serious, sober, sobersided, solemn, somber, staid, unsmiling, weighty
    opposite: benign, benignant, gentle, mild, nonintimidating, tender
    near: bland, meek, mellow, soft, soothing, easy, quiet, tranquil, agreeable, bright, cheerful, inviting, pleasant, pleasing, sweet, glad, happy, lighthearted, merry, mirthful, sunny, featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, giddy, goofy, harebrained, light-headed, playful, scatterbrained, silly

Intimidating (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats

    "refusing to be intimidated by the manager's harsh stare, I demanded my money back"

    similar: blackjacking, bogarting, browbeating, bulldozing, bullying, bullyragging, cowing, hectoring, strong-arming, picking on
    related: blustering, trash-talking, affrighting, alarming, frightening, horrifying, scaring, shocking, spooking, startling, terrifying, menacing, terrorizing, threatening, badgering, harassing, hounding, bludgeoning, coercing, compelling, constraining, dragooning, forcing, making, obliging, pressing, pressuring, pushing around, demoralizing, psyching (out), unmanning, unnerving, discomposing, disconcerting, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, upsetting
    near: cheering, comforting, consoling, reassuring, solacing, soothing, emboldening, encouraging, heartening, steeling, convincing, persuading

Related Entry: Intimidate (verb)

Intimidate is a different word from Intimidating. The synonyms below are for intimidate, not for intimidating.

  1. to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats

    "refusing to be intimidated by the manager's harsh stare, I demanded my money back"

    similar: blackjack, bogart, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, bullyrag, cow, hector, strong-arm, pick on
    related: bluster, trash-talk, affright, alarm, frighten, horrify, scare, shock, spook, startle, terrify, menace, terrorize, threaten, badger, harass, hound, bludgeon, coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, force, make, oblige, press, pressure, push around, demoralize, psych (out), unman, unnerve, discompose, disconcert, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, upset
    near: cheer, comfort, console, reassure, solace, soothe, embolden, encourage, hearten, steel, convince, persuade

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Intimidating

The most common words with a similar meaning to Intimidating:

alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying, austere, dour, fierce, flinty, grim, gruff, lowering, rough, rugged, severe, stark, steely, stern, ungentle, blackjacking, bogarting, browbeating, bulldozing

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Intimidating

Words with the opposite meaning of Intimidating:

benign, benignant, gentle, mild, nonintimidating, tender

Related Words for Intimidating

daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting, discouraging, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, startling, threatening, troubling, trying, unnerving, bone-chilling, creepy, eerie, weird, appalling, atrocious, awful, grisly, gruesome, hideous, horrid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish, bleak, cold

Near Antonyms of Intimidating

calming, comforting, consoling, inviting, lulling, pacifying, quieting, reassuring, relaxing, soothing, tranquilizing, nonthreatening, bland, meek, mellow, soft, easy, quiet, tranquil, agreeable, bright, cheerful, pleasant, pleasing, sweet, glad, happy, lighthearted, merry, mirthful

Word Forms of Intimidating

Derived words: intimidatingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Intimidating

First known use: 1748

Frequently Asked Questions about Intimidating

What does "Intimidating" mean?

"Intimidating" means causing a loss of courage or self-confidence, producing feelings of fear or timidity. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: causing a loss of courage or self-confidence, producing feelings of fear or timidity. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Intimidating"?

Other words for "Intimidating" include alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome and forbidding. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Intimidating" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Intimidating"?

There are 163 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Intimidating". Common alternatives include alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable and frightening.

What is the opposite of "Intimidating"?

Antonyms of "Intimidating" include benign, benignant, gentle, mild, nonintimidating and tender. Near antonyms include calming, comforting, consoling and inviting.

How do you use "Intimidating" in a sentence?

Examples of "Intimidating" in a sentence: "the school's seniors faced the intimidating prospect of the college entrance exams"; "an intimidating bodyguard keeping the fans away from the pop star"; "refusing to be intimidated by the manager's harsh stare, I demanded my money back".

Is "Intimidating" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Intimidating" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Intimidating"?

"Intimidating" is pronounced /in-ˈti-mə-ˌdā-tiŋ/ and divided into syllables as in·tim·i·dat·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Intimidating"?

First known use: 1748.