1
as in terrifying
causing fear
the school's seniors faced the intimidating prospect of the college entrance exams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of intimidating
EW.com, 3 Jan. 2025
What was more intimidating, going into the house your first season or going into the Traitors castle?
Going into the Traitors castle.
—Zoë Haylock, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024
Well, doing a guest star role is always intimidating.
—Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Adjective
Watch the queens name more superlatives of the season — including who was the most intimidating, who's the Mother Sapphira Cristál of the season, and who most needs the Mistress Isabelle Brooks Drag Delusion Vaccine — in EW's video above.
—EW.com, 3 Jan. 2025
What was more intimidating, going into the house your first season or going into the Traitors castle?
Going into the Traitors castle.
—Zoë Haylock, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
Verb
No standard-issue heartthrob, Law began his career as a veritable emblem of intimidating, unattainable, sometimes self-sabotaging male beauty.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 12 Dec. 2024
Well, doing a guest star role is always intimidating.
—Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intimidating
Adjective
-
His first book, Dark Days vividly and unflinchingly chronicled his terrifying experience being jailed on charges of manslaughter (he was acquitted on all counts).—
Bill Kopp,
SPIN,
20 Feb. 2025
-
For those who have watched DOGE storm into their workplace, what is perhaps most terrifying is its attempts to scale.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Ashanti’s lithe voice perfectly complimented Ja’s gruff vocal tone, providing Murder Inc.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2025
-
The gruff men are Danny and Kyle McCray, an estranged father and son who’ve been reunited by a medical emergency.—
Elisabeth Egan,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
But former Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks has pitched just five innings since 2022 due to Tommy John surgery and, even more frightening, a battle with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The key, psychologists say, is the emotional weight of those headlines’ content—especially for people who find what’s happening in the U.S. today to be genuinely frightening.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The game between the fierce rivals was halted after 52 minutes due to fans throwing flares onto the pitch.—
Adam Crafton,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
-
After the goalless draw in one of soccer’s fiercest rivalries, the Portuguese manager was yet again outspoken in his press conference.—
Ben Church,
CNN,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
JPMorgan said the stock is at an attractive entry point with lower expectations and a formidable path for growth.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Helmed by Derrick Borte, Bear Country follows an ageing but formidable club owner, Manco Kapak (Crowe), who is robbed by a masked gunman, leaving his aspirations of selling his club and riding off into the sunset alongside his razor sharp girlfriend Sunny (Palmer) more distant than ever.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Once again, her stern words earned tepid applause from a crowd that honestly just wanted to go two hours without thinking about humanity's downward trajectory into civil, moral, and environmental oblivion.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
24 Feb. 2025
-
But Sunday’s election could mark its sternest test yet.—
Mark Sappenfield,
The Christian Science Monitor,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Soto, Judge trade barbs Once, long ago — ahem, last season — Juan Soto and Aaron Judge formed the scariest hitting combination in MLB.—
Chris Branch,
The Athletic,
19 Feb. 2025
-
But like the best scary movies, Horror has a strong ending.—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intimidating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intimidating. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share