intimorire

to intimidate, to frighten

verb een-tee-moh-REE-reh Rare

Usage Note

Intimorire is a transitive verb meaning to cause fear or unease in someone. The reflexive form intimorirsi means 'to become frightened': si è intimorito — he got scared. It takes essere in compound tenses when reflexive and avere when transitive. More formal than spaventare (to scare).

Examples

"Il cane ha intimorito i bambini."

Natural Translation

The dog frightened the children.

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