intimidate

/ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈti-mə-ˌdāt/ (ame, mw)

intimidate — verb

  • intimidatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • intimidateshe / she / it
  • intimidatedpast simple
  • intimidating-ing form

1. to deliberately cause someone to feel afraid or uneasy, often as a way of forcin

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to deliberately cause someone to feel afraid or uneasy, often as a way of forcing them to meet your demands.

例句

The older students tried to intimidate Quan into handing over his lunch money.

intimidate + object + into + gerund

Some workers feel intimidated when they have to present in front of a large audience.

feel intimidated + when/by

同義詞
  • bully

    more physical or social, often repeated; less about a single coercive act

  • threaten

    more direct and immediate; focuses on stating harm rather than creating a general feeling of fear

  • daunt

    stronger and more formal; emphasises making someone feel discouraged rather than pressured to act

反義詞
  • encourage

    builds confidence instead of destroying it

  • reassure

    removes fear rather than creating it

文法句型

intimidate + object

intimidate + object + into + [doing something]

feel intimidated + by + [something/someone]

be intimidated + into + [doing something]

用法筆記

Nearly always takes an object. The pattern 'intimidate someone into doing something' is especially common. The passive form 'feel intimidated' or 'be intimidated' appears frequently in both speech and writing.

常見錯誤

❌He intimidated me to give him the keys.
✅He intimidated me into giving him the keys.
💡The verb requires 'into + gerund', not 'to + infinitive', to express the coerced action.
❌She felt intimidate by the crowd.
✅She felt intimidated by the crowd.
💡Use the past participle 'intimidated' after linking verbs like 'feel' or 'seem'.