browbeat

IPA/ˈbraʊbiːt/
KK[brˈaʊbˌit]IPA/ˈbraʊbiːt/

browbeat — verb

  • browbeatpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • browbeatshe / she / it
  • browbeatenpast participle
  • browbeating-ing form

1. to force someone to do something by using stern words, angry looks, or repeated

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to force someone to do something by using stern words, angry looks, or repeated demands, so that they feel they have no choice but to give in

Example

Kwame's boss tried to browbeat him into working weekends without extra pay.

browbeat + into + gerund (working)

The landlord browbeat the elderly tenants into signing an unfair new lease agreement.

Common collocations
  • be browbeaten by
  • browbeat someone into
  • browbeat into submission
Synonyms
  • intimidate

    focuses on creating fear, not necessarily forcing a specific action

  • bully

    more general; can include physical or social aggression beyond verbal pressure

  • coerce

    more neutral and formal; can involve threats, rewards, or manipulation

  • bulldoze

    informal; implies pushing past resistance with aggressive insistence

Antonyms
  • encourage

    builds someone's confidence rather than breaking it down

  • coax

    uses gentle persuasion instead of threats or force

Grammar Patterns

browbeat + person + into + -ing form

be browbeaten + by + agent + into + -ing form

Usage Note

Almost always used with 'into' + gerund to state the forced action. The passive construction ('be browbeaten') is common and often omits the agent. Distinguish from 'bully', which can describe repeated physical or social intimidation without a specific demanded action — browbeating always targets a particular outcome.

Common Mistakes

The manager browbeated his team until they quit.
The manager browbeat his team until they quit.
'browbeat' is irregular: present/browbeat, past/browbeat, past participle/browbeaten. Never add '-ed'.
The older students browbeat the younger ones.
The older students browbeat the younger ones into handing over their lunch money.
'browbeat' requires 'into' + the specific action the victim was forced to do.
I felt browbeaten by her argument.
I felt browbeaten by her aggressive tone during the argument.
'browbeaten' describes the feeling of being pressured by a person's manner, not by the logical force of an argument.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe making someone do something against their will, but they differ in method and tone. 'Intimidate' focuses on creating fear — the person may back down without performing any specific action. 'Bully' is broader: it covers physical, verbal, or social aggression that can be ongoing rather than aimed at a single outcome. 'Coerce' is the most formal and neutral, often used in legal or political contexts, and can involve rewards or manipulation as well as threats. 'Bulldoze' is informal and vivid — it suggests pushing through resistance by sheer force of insistence, like a bulldozer clearing a path. 'Browbeat' is the most specific: it always involves a confrontational personal manner — stern words, glaring looks, repeated demands — aimed at forcing one particular action. For example, a salesperson might 'bulldoze' you into a purchase with relentless chatter, but a police interrogator would 'browbeat' a suspect into confessing with intimidating questions.

intimidate ↗bully ↗coerce ↗bulldoze ↗browbeat ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • browbeat someone into submission
  • browbeat someone into doing something
  • browbeat into silence
  • refuse to be browbeaten

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed in English around 1581 by combining 'brow' (the forehead, from Old English 'brū') and 'beat' (from Old English 'bēatan', to strike). The image is of aggressively confronting someone — beating them with one's brow, so to speak — by using a stern facial expression (lowered eyebrows) and domineering speech to force them into compliance.