How to pronounce intimidate
Say it like in-TIM-ih-dayt. Intimidate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TIM).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce intimidate. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- in
- TIM
- ih
- dayt
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Intimidate pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- inGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- TIMSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- ihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- daytGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of intimidate
American and British speakers say intimidate in essentially the same way: /ˌɪnˈtɪmɪˌdeɪt/ in the US and /ɪnˈtɪmɪˌdeɪt/ in the UK.
British respelling: in-TIM-ih-dayt.
What does intimidate mean?
- To make timid or afraid; to cause to feel fear or nervousness; to deter, especially by threats of violence.“He's trying to intimidate you. If you ignore him, hopefully he'll stop.”
Where does intimidate come from?
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.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying intimidate
How do you pronounce intimidate?
Say in-TIM-ih-dayt. The American pronunciation is /ˌɪnˈtɪmɪˌdeɪt/. In British English it is /ɪnˈtɪmɪˌdeɪt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in intimidate?
Intimidate has four syllables, and the main stress falls on the second one (TIM). Broken into parts: in · TIM · ih · dayt.
Do Americans and Brits say intimidate the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌɪnˈtɪmɪˌdeɪt/ and the British form is /ɪnˈtɪmɪˌdeɪt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.