intimidate implies inducing fear or a sense of inferiority into another.
intimidated by so many other bright freshmen
cow implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost.
not at all cowed by the odds against making it in show business
bulldoze implies an intimidating or an overcoming of resistance usually by urgings, demands, or threats.
bulldozed the city council into approving the plan
bully implies intimidation through threats, insults, or aggressive behavior.
bullied into giving up their lunch money
browbeat implies a cowing through arrogant, scornful, or contemptuous treatment.
browbeat the witness into a contradiction
Examples of cow in a Sentence
Noun
The cows need to be milked twice a day. Verb
I refuse to be cowed by their threats.
a sharp glare cowed the child into being quiet
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Noun
The walls had a nominal utility as fences for the dairy herd that was milked in the great white cow barn, but this was only ever a Gilded Age fantasy of the rustic idyll.—
Matt Seaton,
The Atlantic,
19 July 2026 Zettle had raised nine of the cows since birth and the bonds were strong.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
19 July 2026
Verb
England looked cowed and browbeaten by the second half of the semifinal, which allowed Lionel Messi to do what only Lionel Messi can do.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
16 July 2026 With their long and crescent-shaped horns, the Inyambo cows graze at the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza and at the homes of some of Rwanda's richest people, including President Paul Kagame.—ABC News,
27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for cow
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English cou, from Old English cū; akin to Old High German kuo cow, Latin bos head of cattle, Greek bous, Sanskrit go
Verb
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish kue to subdue
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
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