intimidating

adjective

in·​tim·​i·​dat·​ing in-ˈti-mə-ˌdā-tiŋ 

: causing a loss of courage or self-confidence : producing feelings of fear or timidity

an intimidating snarl

a boss with a very intimidating manner

The Red Army athletes were the most intimidating of competitors.

—Ian Thomsen

First jobs are intimidating for everyone, but few people have to cope with the stresses of the workplace at such a tender age as ballet dancers do.

—Daphne Hurford

intimidatingly adverb

The ship was eerily, intimidatingly empty …

—Anthony Bourdain

… according to the architect Richard Rogers, [Daniel] Libeskind's work isn't just formally arresting—it is intimidatingly smart.

—Jason Cowley

Synonyms

• alarming
• dire
• direful
• dread
• dreadful
• fearful
• fearsome
• forbidding
• formidable
• frightening
• frightful
• ghastly
• hair-raising
• horrendous
• horrible
• horrifying
• redoubtable
• scary
• shocking
• spine-chilling
• terrible
• terrifying

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The group argued the presence of police officers on school campuses often led to the criminalization of students, particularly those from Black and brown communities, and contributed to a hostile and intimidating environment that hindered learning. —Jamie Joseph, Fox News, 11 May 2024

In his directorial debut, Hill nails the ecstatic but intimidating feeling of finding a social group when every other support system fails you. —Chris Bellamy and Kyle Fowle, EW.com, 10 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1748, in the meaning defined above