1
as in terrifying
causing fear
the school's seniors faced the intimidating prospect of the college entrance exams
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
an intimidating bodyguard keeping the fans away from the pop star
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bullying
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
refusing to be intimidated by the manager's harsh stare, I demanded my money back
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intimidating
Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
The stadium was bigger, louder and more intimidating.
—Zoe Bahjat, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Tasked with walking a fine line between intimidating antagonist and friendly foil, Marsden plays Ashe like a live-wire that’s always about to blow.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Adjective
By addressing each of these messes individually, refreshing your home should become much less intimidating, Davis says.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 1 Apr. 2026
The stadium was bigger, louder and more intimidating.
—Zoe Bahjat, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Elected officials say an Orland Park resident recently charged with threatening and intimidating them was behind campaigns of robocalls and other communications that targeted them and their families.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Tasked with walking a fine line between intimidating antagonist and friendly foil, Marsden plays Ashe like a live-wire that’s always about to blow.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intimidating
Adjective
-
Some of his acts are dangerous or terrifying.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
In 1972, Ann-Margret fell 22 feet from a stage during a performance — a terrifying moment that could have ended her career.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And Zendaya, as to be expected, really, is fantastic, slipping effortlessly under the skin of the gruff addict in recovery, trying to claw her way out of an increasingly deep hole.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
9 Apr. 2026
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As Liborio, an orphan who risked his life to cross the border and ended up living in the attic of a bookstore thanks to the kindness of the gruff owner, Chief (Eddie Marsan), the actor plays a narrator who consistently breaks the fourth wall.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Online platforms are generally not legally responsible for the content that their users post; Meta, for example, would not be liable for bullying comments or imagery for self-harm posted onto Facebook.—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Lendeborg had a highlight-reel dunk by bullying his way through two defenders and finishing his transition drive with a dunk to put Michigan up 66-57.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
How about the less-frightening scenarios?—
Craig MacLellan,
Boston Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
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Now, parents who haven’t experienced the frightening effects of the highly contagious and fast-moving infection are increasingly opting out of vaccinating their kids against Hib.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Some diehard Beliebers—Justin’s fiercest fans—were already camped out near the front barricades.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Competition is fierce within China’s tech sector.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And with it almost out in the world, that’s scaring him a little bit.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
-
During the first phase, last spring, before DHS got the infusion of new money, Noem led a shock-and-awe campaign aimed mostly at scaring people into leaving.—
Nick Miroff,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In my view, the key obstacle to creating future generations of nonsmokers is that people do not fully understand how dangerous smoking is and do not realize the formidable influence of the tobacco industry.—
Marie Helweg-Larsen,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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Motivated Mars activates your 6th House of Well-being as of today, motivating you to reconfigure routines and direct your formidable focus toward the tasks that truly count.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The book’s playful interrogation of traditional gender expectations is sharpened with the introduction of 1855 Caleb, a fantasy and a nightmare, a stern, quiet man who Natalie finds both terrifying and alluring.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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The problems surfaced in February, prompting a stern letter from the airport to the software provider, which has been paid about $5 million since 2019 to upgrade and operate the payment system and equipment for MIA’s parking garages.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intimidating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intimidating. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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