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 for intimidating
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
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Examples of intimidating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This can be intimidating, but, after going through this both as someone who’s personally grieving and as a friend to someone who is grieving, don’t be afraid to be wrong. — Chelsea Gray, Vox, "What I wish my friends had said to me after my mom died," 20 Nov. 2018 The swim is the most intimidating thing about a triathlon for most people. — Mitchell Gladstone, Philly.com, "A Q&A with Philadelphia Escape Triathlon director Bill Burke," 21 June 2018 The only problem with dining in Brooklyn is that the wealth of choices can be a little intimidating. — Debra Bruno, chicagotribune.com, "In Brooklyn, bridging the gap between new discoveries and old favorites," 16 Feb. 2018 Intense colors can be intimidating, but they can be manipulated and built up in stages. — Katheryn Erickson, Town & Country, "Violet Femmes," 14 Dec. 2012 There are literally SO many colleges out there, and the search process can be super intimidating. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Here are the Best Colleges in the United States," 12 Sep. 2018 But perhaps those walls have just been made a little bit less intimidating. — Christopher Solomon, Outside Online, "Climbing to a Better Life for Seattle's Refugees," 27 Apr. 2018 Friends and colleagues said that hidden inside a somewhat gruff and intimidating exterior was a kid who occasionally came out during the Voyager press briefings. — Dennis Overbye, BostonGlobe.com, "Bradford Smith, 86, dies; showed postcards from outer space," 13 July 2018 What’s more, plenty of men find streetwear intimidating or just not for them. — Ray A. Smith, WSJ, "A ‘Modern Preppy’ Maestro Makes Peace With Streetwear," 10 July 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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