# intimidated

/ˌɪnˈtɪmɪˌdeɪtɪd/ (US) · /ɪntˈɪmɪdˌeɪtɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/intimidated
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. feeling nervous or fearful

adjective · CEFR B2

feeling frightened or lacking confidence because someone else seems more powerful or talented than you.

For teachers: experiencing a loss of confidence or a sense of fear due to the presence of a person, environment, or task that appears overwhelming or superior.

- I felt a bit intimidated by all the smart people at the conference.
- The junior associate felt visibly intimidated by the senior partner's aggressive questioning during the cross-examination.

Usage: often followed by the preposition 'by'

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse the -ed and -ing forms; remind them that 'intimidated' is the internal feeling of the person.

## Examples

- I felt intimidated by the large crowd.
- New employees often feel intimidated during their first meeting with the company directors.
- Even the most experienced debaters can feel intimidated when faced with a hostile audience and a panel of experts who disagree with every point.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.