intimidate
Definitions
To frighten or threaten someone, especially to make them do what you want or stop them from acting
恐吓，威胁（尤指迫使某人服从或不敢行动）
To make someone feel nervous or less confident, often without intending to
使人紧张、心生畏怯（常非故意）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedin- (into) + timid (afraid, from timidus) + -ate (to make) = 'to make fear go into someone.' Here in- means 'into,' not the negative in- of invisible. You intimidate a person by putting fear in them — making them feel small, threatened, unwilling to act.
Root tim still carries 5 more wordsWhy It Means This
The word makes fear into something you can hand to another person. Because the in- means 'into,' intimidate always points at a target: you can't intimidate the weather, only a person who can feel afraid. It splits into two shades — deliberate threatening (a bully intimidates witnesses) and unintentional overawing (her brilliance intimidates new colleagues).
Common Collocations
- 1.intimidate a witness恐吓证人
- 2.intimidate voters威胁选民
- 3.feel intimidated by被……吓住
- 4.easily intimidated容易被吓倒
- 5.try to intimidate企图恐吓
Example Sentences
- 1.
They tried to intimidate the witness into changing her story.
- 2.
Don't let the big crowd intimidate you before the match.
- 3.
His calm confidence can intimidate people who don't know him.
- 4.
The gang used threats to intimidate local shop owners.
Synonym Comparison
- intimidate — make someone afraid so they submit or back down; implies pressure or threat
- frighten — simply cause fear, no goal of control: the noise frightened the baby
- threaten — state an intention to harm; about words/warnings, not the resulting fear
- bully — repeatedly intimidate someone weaker, often over time
- daunt — make someone lose confidence before a hard task: a daunting challenge