1
as in terrifying
causing fear
the school's seniors faced the intimidating prospect of the college entrance exams
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
an intimidating bodyguard keeping the fans away from the pop star
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bullying
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intimidating
Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Ted Danson recalled an intimidating first encounter with former President Bill Clinton and his Secret Service detail during an early date with his now-wife, Mary Steenburgen.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Bikes dominate the streets, which means getting around on your own feels intuitive, not intimidating.
—Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Adjective
Moving to a new city and starting a new job can be one of the most intimidating parts of building a career.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
Ted Danson recalled an intimidating first encounter with former President Bill Clinton and his Secret Service detail during an early date with his now-wife, Mary Steenburgen.
—Antonio Ferme, Variety, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
Think chic textures, modern finishes and high-end craftsmanship, without the intimidating price tag.
—Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
Bikes dominate the streets, which means getting around on your own feels intuitive, not intimidating.
—Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intimidating
Adjective
-
This isn’t the terrifying Frost of modernist criticism—although the poem is fully aware of darkness, and its world, on the cusp of World War I, like ours, certainly had its terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Most prior visits had morphed into extended trips into a terrifying medical underworld — to a purgatory known as emergency department boarding.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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McVay raised some eyebrows Thursday night with his gruff demeanor following the pick of Simpson.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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As previously announced, Burr plays a gruff American record-store owner who convinces a ragtag gang of teenage misfits that their best, and possibly only, chance to lose their virginity before graduating high school is at a massive open-air mass for the visiting Pope.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Unfortunately, Trump’s bullying style of diplomacy does not engender a willingness by allies and friends to step forward and provide assistance to our efforts in Iran.—
Tom Jurkowsky,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
-
His campaign is gaining momentum at a time when many of the administration’s steadfast Christian backers—alarmed by the president’s bullying campaign against Pope Leo XIV in recent weeks, among other heresies—have been rethinking their support.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Her Dispatch from the scene captured the moments of frightening confusion as high-ranking members of the government were whisked away from the Washington Hilton, where the event was held.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The ultimate scene packs a punch here — without spoiling things, Abigail Onwunali is particularly powerful in a role that Wilson saves till the eleventh hour, and Boone goes to places at once frightening and devastating.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Along the way, there have been fast times, big doping busts and fierce corporate competition for the fastest humans in history.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Pre-marketing fight lands in court The fiercest pushback to Compass’s marketing strategy came from Zillow, the country’s largest home-search platform.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Plus, nobody will careen past you at 110 mph, scaring you spitless.—
Allen Best,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
This isn’t a film about trauma, or smuggled-in social issues, or anything at all, really, besides the honest workaday business of scaring the bejesus out of its audience, rinsing, and repeating with extra vigor.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates — creatures without backbones — weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Stretching up to 62 feet long, the ancient predator dwarfed modern giant squid and may have rivaled some of the most formidable hunters of the Cretaceous oceans.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An Ada County judge let a Boise woman who stole jewelry from hospice patients off without prison time — but not without a stern warning and alternative punishment.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Apr. 2026
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When addressing Chasing Horse, Peterson took on a stern tone and admonished the actor and his attorney, Craig Mueller, for denying the charges and downplaying evidence of assault.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intimidating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intimidating. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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