browbeat

brow·beat

transitive verb \ˈbrau̇-ˌbēt\

brow·beat brow·beat·en\-ˈbē-t^ən\ or brow·beat brow·beat·ing

Definition of BROWBEAT

: to intimidate or disconcert by a stern manner or arrogant speech : bully

Examples of BROWBEAT

1. His father likes to browbeat waiters and waitresses.
2. <they would often browbeat the younger child until he cried>

First Known Use of BROWBEAT

1581

Related to BROWBEAT

Synonyms

blackjack, bogart, intimidate, bulldoze, bully, bullyrag, cow, hector, mau-mau, strong-arm

Related Words

bluster, trash-talk; affright, alarm (also alarum), frighten, horrify, scare, shock, spook, startle, terrify; menace, terrorize, threaten; badger, harass, hound; bludgeon, coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, force, make, oblige, press, pressure, push around; demoralize, psych (out), unman, unnerve; discompose, disconcert, disquiet, distress, disturb, perturb, upset

Near Antonyms

cheer, comfort, console, reassure, solace, soothe; embolden, encourage, hearten, steel; convince, persuade

See Synonym Discussion at intimidate

Rhymes with BROWBEAT

accrete, aesthete, afreet, athlete, backbeat, backseat, backstreet, bedsheet, bench seat, big beat, bolete, box pleat, box seat, break beat, broadsheet, buckwheat, bystreet, call sheet, car seat, cheat sheet, clipsheet, cloud street, cold feet, compete, compleat, complete, conceit, concrete, crabmeat, crib sheet, deadbeat, dead heat, dead meat, deceit, defeat, delete, deplete, discreet, discrete, disseat, downbeat, drop seat, drumbeat, dutch treat, effete, elite, en suite, entreat, escheat, excrete, facete, Fleet Street, fly sheet, forcemeat, foresheet, four-peat, gamete, groundsheet, hard wheat, heartbeat, heat-treat, helpmeet, hoofbeat, hot seat, house seat, ice sheet, ill-treat, jump seat, kick pleat, love seat, mainsheet, Main Street, maltreat, mesquite, mincemeat, mistreat, offbeat, Ossete, petite, pink sheet, preheat, rap sheet, receipt, recheat, red heat, red meat, red wheat, regreet, repeat, replete, retreat, scratch sheet, secrete, side street, slip-sheet, soft wheat, spreadsheet, stand treat, swap meet, sweetmeat, tear sheet, terete, three-peat, through street, time sheet, unmeet, unseat, upbeat, vegete, volkslied, white heat