intimorire
frighten · intimidate
Definition & meaning
Intimorire means to cause someone to feel fear, apprehension, or a loss of confidence. It implies exerting a psychological pressure on someone, making them feel intimidated or uneasy.
It can be used in two slightly different contexts:
- To strike fear into someone or to make them feel timid or shy in a specific situation.
- To discourage someone from taking an action by making them feel inadequate or afraid of the consequences.
Grammar & Word origin
Intimorire is a transitive verb of the third conjugation (ending in -ire). It often takes the pronominal form intimorirsi, which means "to become afraid" or "to feel intimidated."
Etymologically, it is composed of:
- The prefix in- (indicating movement into a state).
- The root timore (fear), which comes from the Latin timor.
- The suffix -ire, which turns the noun into a verb.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
- Spaventare (to frighten)
- Impaurire (to make afraid)
- Sbigottire (to dismay or shock)
- Suggerire (in the context of intimidating/cowing)
- Soggiogare (to subjugate through fear)
Antonyms:
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Examples
Il rumore mi intimorisce.verb
The noise frightens me.
Spero che questo esame non vi intimorisca.verb
I hope this exam does not intimidate you.
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