Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “intimidating” come from?

Intimidating comes from Latin intimidare, meaning to frighten, formed from the prefix in- and timidus, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European h₁én.

intimidating (English): present participle of intimidate; threatening

Definitions

  1. present participle of intimidate; threatening

Ancestry of “intimidating”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishintimidateTo make timid or afraid; to cause to feel fear or...
2Latinintimidatus—
3Latinintimidō—
4Latintimidusfearful, afraid, apprehensive, timid; cowardly
5Latintimeō—
6LatinTīmaeus—
7Ancient GreekΤῑ́μαιος—
8Ancient Greekτῑμάω—

Words derived from “intimidating”

  • intimidatingly
  • unintimidating
  • nonintimidating
Every word from Ancient Greek τῑμάω →