1
as in terrifying
causing fear
the school's seniors faced the intimidating prospect of the college entrance exams
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frightening
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intimidating
Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 18 July 2025
This season, the idea of him sharing the new ball with Lockie Ferguson could form one of the most intimidating pace duos in the competition.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2025
Mark Cohen, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025
Come to find, that spiral horn isn’t merely decorative, but doubles as a gnarly weapon, with which these two larger and far more intimidating-looking unicorns impale their prey.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Adjective
The wide bodies, snarling engines and the sometimes-thumping speakers announce with no shame that the Hellcat is much like the grade-school bully of the highway: stout, unreasonable and intimidating.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 18 July 2025
This season, the idea of him sharing the new ball with Lockie Ferguson could form one of the most intimidating pace duos in the competition.
—Sukhman Singh, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2025
Verb
Bay Area news outlets have reported dozens of Jewish families transferring their children out of Oakland’s public schools because of the intimidating, antisemitic school environment.
—Mark Cohen, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025
Come to find, that spiral horn isn’t merely decorative, but doubles as a gnarly weapon, with which these two larger and far more intimidating-looking unicorns impale their prey.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intimidating
Adjective
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In his first-ever manuscript, the 19-year-old English major imagined a terrifying dystopian death game.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
29 Aug. 2025
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The first movie revolved around a bride’s (Weaving) wedding night which takes a sinister turn when her eccentric new in-laws force her to take part in a terrifying game.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The central quartet of friends have a supportive connection underneath all their hormones and egos — Elba proves a standout as the gruff but warm defacto leader — that makes their bloody and sexed-up misadventures oddly wholesome.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
13 Aug. 2025
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Dougal MacKenzie loves a good prank — and so do the actors who play the gruff Highland Scot.—
Maureen Lee Lenker Published,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s project has emboldened ICE agents in frightening ways, too.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
23 Aug. 2025
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Her treatment began on May 20, 2024 at Michiana Hematology Oncology in Mishawaka, Indiana, but immediately took a frightening turn.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) shows Democrats ahead of Republicans in overall fundraising, with more success among House Democrats than senators, as the parties gear up for a fierce 2026 midterm election.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Aug. 2025
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The incident comes amid fierce controversy around pro-Palestinian activism and free speech in the UK, with musicians often at the forefront.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
23 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Instead, there was a fast, tough, physical team flying around and making big-time plays, bullying the big-boy Tar Heels.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
30 Dec. 2024
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LeBron James scored 32 points one game after setting the NBA’s all-time minutes record for regular-season games, bullying the Kings on the offensive end while grabbing four steals on the defensive end.—
Dan Woike,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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After decades of battling brutal conditions in the Bering Sea, Hansen, 59, is now facing something even more formidable than icy waves — his own mortality.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Huntington Beach: The Oilers remain formidable with the return of All-County duo of Roxie Shaia and Taylor Savage at quarterback and wide receiver, respectively. 4.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Over the past three seasons, viewers have grown fond of Laurel, Belly’s stern but loving mom, whose friendship with the Fisher boys’ mom, Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), is the reason Belly’s in this whole brother-love-triangle mess to begin with.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
20 Aug. 2025
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Yet the power in these two performances isn’t supplemented by much texture in the stern, declamatory writing: There’s little sense of how this relationship functions, or once functioned, outside these particularly fraught scenes.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Residents recount a scary night and a quiet Chapman.—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
The Enquirer,
31 Aug. 2025
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The nature of the film is a man running away, not just from big scary monsters, but also from himself.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intimidating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intimidating. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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