Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

intimidate

/ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.31 in modern English

Syllables
in-tim-i-date
IPA
/ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/
13
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To make timid or afraid; to cause to feel fear or nervousness; to deter, especially by threats of violence.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Medieval Latin intimidātus, perfect passive participle of Latin intimidō (“to intimidate, terrify”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from in- (“in”) + timidus (“afraid, timid”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix); see timid.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: intimidātus, intimidō

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/
  • British English: /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/

Usage

Inflected Forms

intimidates (present, singular) intimidating (participle, present) intimidated (participle, past) intimidated (past)

Derived Forms

unintimidate

Phrases

pick on ride roughshod over

Frequently Paired Words

intimidatingly intimidation intimidator intimidatory timid pick on ride roughshod over abash

Synonyms

abash buffalo bulldoze bully browbeat cow dastardize daunt dishearten do down domineer drive

Questions

How do you pronounce intimidate?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/.
What does intimidate mean?
To make timid or afraid; to cause to feel fear or nervousness; to deter, especially by threats of violence.
Where does intimidate come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce intimidate

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “intimidate”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “intimidate”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “intimidate” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.