1
as in terrifying
causing fear
the school's seniors faced the intimidating prospect of the college entrance exams
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of intimidating
Kate Donovan, Martha Stewart, 28 May 2026
When safety is embedded into the workplace culture, changing regulations become less intimidating because the organization is already oriented around protecting people.
—John F. McQuillan, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Max Berlinger, Vogue, 11 June 2026
On May 21, the UAW filed Unfair Labor Practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing American Axle of threatening and intimidating union members ahead of the contract's expiration date.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Adjective
Bring Something to Share In some soft socializing settings, bringing something to share can also foster a sense of connection, and small acts of participation may help make socializing feel less intimidating and more collaborative.
—Kate Donovan, Martha Stewart, 28 May 2026
When safety is embedded into the workplace culture, changing regulations become less intimidating because the organization is already oriented around protecting people.
—John F. McQuillan, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Verb
Being intimidating at work should never be praised or promoted in fashion.
—Max Berlinger, Vogue, 11 June 2026
On May 21, the UAW filed Unfair Labor Practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing American Axle of threatening and intimidating union members ahead of the contract's expiration date.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for intimidating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intimidating
Adjective
-
The disregard for one’s health is terrifying.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
9 Dec. 2025
-
The woman who survived a terrifying accident on the Stevenson Expressway last week is speaking out about the incident.—
Marissa Sulek,
CBS News,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
With his gruff voice, beard and sweatshirts-instead-of-suits, Platner cuts the figure of a blue-collar Mainer.—
Caroline McCaughey,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
-
Her ex, Karl (Jake Johnson, impressively devoid of his signature gruff charm), wants to move their adorable daughter, Hazel (Nola Wallace), from New York to Boise with his new partner, Mallory (Jessy Hodges), a polished grown-up who makes the bohemian Paula feel like a mess.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Trump is waging war on free speech, bullying cowardly media companies into submission.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
20 Aug. 2025
-
McMillan is used to bullying significantly less talented and shorter corners in the college sphere.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
What began as a quiet evening quickly turned frightening after the couple climbed onto the jetty rocks to look for shells and crabs.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
By the time of The Social Reckoning, a website that was once used to rate the attractiveness of women has gone on to disrupt global politics on a frightening scale.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Publishers must also navigate changing consumer behavior, rising shipping costs and a fierce attention economy.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
The backlash was so fierce, Anthropic quickly made adjustments to the policy, as Wired reported on Wednesday, highlighting just how carefully the company is treading.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Predator decoys that are in constant motion may be most effective at scaring birds.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
-
However, the fact that both are scaring away new users thanks to soaring prices isn’t exactly a vote of confidence to investors, which could soon force AI executives to rethink their business models.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Nor will a stronger Ukraine incline Western countries to provide it with more formidable security guarantees.—
Thomas Graham,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Braka's transformable battlecruiser, the Venari Ral, is a formidable opponent, and the two spaceships face off in deep space.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Fold-down stern platforms create more than 50 square feet of additional usable space at anchor.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
16 June 2026
-
The photo shows both the bow and the stern sections under construction.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intimidating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intimidating. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
