English
intimidate
Intimidate comes from Latin intimidō ‘to intimidate, terrify’, from timidus ‘fearful, afraid, apprehensive, timid’, and ultimately from timeō.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtimeō‘to fear, be afraid of, apprehend, be apprehensive of’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtimidus‘fearful, afraid, apprehensive, timid’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEintimidō‘to intimidate, terrify’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500intimidātusperfect passive participle of intimidō
- Englishearliest quotation 2018intimidate
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtimeō‘to fear, be afraid of, apprehend, be apprehensive of’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtimidus‘fearful, afraid, apprehensive, timid’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEintimidō‘to intimidate, terrify’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500intimidātusperfect passive participle of intimidō
- Englishearliest quotation 2018intimidate
Earliest quotation: 2018, Nnedi Okorafor, Who Fears Death: “His father tried to intimidate his son into staying,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *temH- ‘dark’
through Latin timeō ‘to fear, be afraid of, apprehend, be…’
through Latin timidus ‘fearful, afraid, apprehensive, timid’
Today it means
verb To make timid or afraid; to cause to feel fear or nervousness; to deter, especially by threats of violence.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin timeō / intimidate