intimidating

Thân thiện

The new student found the large, empty classroom intimidating.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Causing fear or discouragement: Describes something or someone that makes others feel afraid, nervous, or less confident, often to control their behavior or prevent an action.
   • Overwhelming or daunting: Describes something that appears so impressive, difficult, or severe that it discourages approach or attempt.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The security guard had an intimidating presence that kept the crowd calm.
  • She found the prospect of giving a speech to a large audience quite intimidating.
  • The professor's intimidating reputation made students hesitant to ask questions.

Advanced Usage

• "to be intimidating": to have a quality that causes fear or awe.
  • The sheer size of the ancient castle was intimidating.
• "to find something intimidating": to perceive something as frightening or overwhelming.
  • Many beginners find the advanced software intimidating at first.

Variants and Related Words

• Intimidate (verb): To frighten or threaten someone, usually to make them do something.
  • He tried to intimidate the witness into silence.
• Intimidation (noun): The action of intimidating someone; the state of being intimidated.
  • The case involved allegations of witness intimidation.
• Intimidated (adjective): Feeling frightened or lacking confidence because of someone or something.
  • She felt intimidated by the aggressive questioning.

Synonyms

• Daunting: Seeming difficult to deal with in anticipation; intimidating.
• Frightening: Causing fear or terror.
• Formidable: Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, intense, or capable.
• Overawing: Impressing someone so much that they are silent or inhibited.

Related Phrasal Verbs / Constructions

(Note: "Intimidating" is primarily an adjective. The related verb "intimidate" is used in phrasal constructions.) - Intimidate into: To frighten or threaten someone to force them to do something. - The gang tried to intimidate the shopkeeper into paying them protection money.

Related Idioms

• A chilling/sobering/intimidating prospect: Something that is frightening or daunting to consider.
  • Facing a panel of expert judges is an intimidating prospect for any young musician.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. discouraging through fear

Từ đồng nghĩa

• daunting