intimidating
adjective
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Definition of intimidating
: causing feelings of fear, awe, or timidity a stern teacher with a very intimidating manner an intimidating display of strength
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Synonyms & Antonyms for intimidating
Synonyms
austere, dour, fierce, flinty, forbidding, grim, gruff, lowering (also louring), rough, rugged, severe, stark, steely, stern, ungentle
Antonyms
benign, benignant, gentle, mild, tender
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Examples of intimidating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In a place that’s already intimidating and sometimes loud and crowded, machines are just a lot less scary to use than free weights or most free weight areas. — Casey Johnston, SELF, "Ask a Swole Woman: Should I Include Gym Machines in My Workout?," 29 June 2018 The show includes one of Houdini’s original brown leather straitjackets and a rare recording of the magician’s voice, which was higher and lighter than might be expected from a man with such an intimidating stare. — Mary Carole Mccauley, baltimoresun.com, "Behind the magic of Harry Houdini at the Jewish Museum of Maryland," 29 June 2018 In the past hour, people from all walks of life have been sharing stories and his quotes talking about Charles's intimidating intellect, his wicked sense of humor, and his undeniable determination. — Fox News, "Dana Perino on learning from Charles Krauthammer," 22 June 2018 Furthermore, groups like San Francisco Bicycling Coalition offer free classes to tackle one of the most intimidating factors in urban cycling: learning the rules of the road. — Stephanie Granada, Sunset, "10 Best Biking Towns in the West," 22 Jan. 2018 While the warp speed its enthusiasts play at may look intimidating, pickleball is actually pretty easy to learn. — Bethany Ao, Philly.com, "How to play pickleball," 12 July 2018 This snazzy electric one has a sleek design with a comforting roundness to not look too intimidating. — The Cut, "27 Luxury Father’s Day Gifts for the Dad Who Has Everything," 14 June 2018 This can be one of the most intimidating things in the world. — Casey Ross, STAT, "More patients are taking home recordings of their doctor visits. But who else could listen?," 18 May 2018 Building a cheese board can be overwhelming and intimidating because of how many choices there are, Westerhausen says. — Becky Krystal, charlotteobserver, "How to build the ultimate cheese board," 5 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intimidating.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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