intimidation
C1Formal
Definition
Meaning
The action of frightening someone into doing something, or preventing them from doing something, by making them feel threatened or powerless.
The feeling of being frightened, threatened, or made to feel inferior, especially in a psychological or social context.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a deliberate act to create fear or submission, but can also describe the resulting state of feeling intimidated. Typically involves psychological pressure more than physical force.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or semantic differences. The concept is identical in both varieties.
Connotations
In both varieties, strongly associated with bullying, harassment, and oppressive behaviour, often in legal, workplace, or social justice contexts.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English legal and news media, particularly regarding 'voter intimidation' or 'witness intimidation'.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
intimidation of [victim]intimidation by [perpetrator]intimidation into [action]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a reign of intimidation”
- “to rule by intimidation”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to hostile work environments, aggressive management styles, or unfair competitive practices.
Academic
Used in psychology, sociology, and law to describe power dynamics, bullying, or social control mechanisms.
Everyday
Describes feeling scared or pressured by someone, e.g., a bully, an aggressive driver, or a dominant person.
Technical
A specific legal term for crimes intended to prevent someone from exercising their rights or reporting a crime.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The gang tried to intimidate the witnesses.
- He shouldn't let them intimidate him into silence.
American English
- The lawyer was accused of trying to intimidate the jury.
- Their size doesn't intimidate our players.
adverb
British English
- He loomed intimidatingly over the desk.
- She smiled, not at all intimidatingly.
American English
- The guard stared intimidatingly at the crowd.
- He spoke calmly, not intimidatingly.
adjective
British English
- His intimidating manner made the staff nervous.
- The climb looked intimidating from below.
American English
- She gave him an intimidating stare.
- The interview process was deliberately intimidating.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The big dog was an intimidation to the small child.
- He felt intimidation in the new school.
- The teacher stopped the intimidation in the classroom.
- They used intimidation to get what they wanted.
- The report highlighted systematic intimidation of political opponents.
- She refused to be swayed by their blatant intimidation tactics.
- The legal framework is designed to protect citizens from coercion and intimidation.
- His testimony revealed a corporate culture rife with psychological intimidation.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a timid person being made even more timid by someone's actions: IN-TIMID-ATION.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTIMIDATION IS A WEAPON / INTIMIDATION IS A CAGE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque from 'запугивание' where a simpler word like 'pressure' or 'bullying' is more natural. 'Intimidation' is stronger and more formal than 'запугивание' in many contexts.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'intimidation' with 'intimation' (hint/suggestion).
- Using it for mild embarrassment (e.g., 'I felt intimidated by her knowledge' is correct; 'I felt intimidated by a small mistake' is an overstatement).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely to be described as 'intimidation'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always, but it often crosses into illegality when it involves threats, harassment, stalking, or is used to prevent someone from exercising legal rights (like voting).
'Bullying' is a repeated pattern of aggressive behaviour, often among peers. 'Intimidation' is the specific act of creating fear to control someone; it can be a single act and is used in wider contexts (legal, political). Bullying often involves intimidation.
Typically, intimidation implies intent. However, someone can feel intimidated by another person's reputation, presence, or authority without that person intending to frighten them. In such cases, we might say 'unintentional intimidation' or simply that the person is 'daunting'.
Use it with an object: 'X intimidates Y'. Common patterns: 'intimidate someone into doing something' or 'intimidate someone out of doing something'. It can be used in passive voice: 'She was intimidated by the complex form.'
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