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🇨🇳Chinese Source WordCode: ZH

恐吓

Pronunciation / Transliteration: kǒnghè

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Intimidate/ɪnˈtɪm.ɪ.deɪt/
verbCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #4500 frequency
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🇨🇳 Example Sentence in Chinese:

"他们试图用暴力恐吓证人。"

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To frighten or overawe someone, especially in order to make them do what one wants.

    "The larger opponent tried to intimidate the younger players before the match started."
  2. 2

    To deter or subjugate by inducing a sense of timidity or inferiority.

    "She refused to be intimidated by the complex technical jargon used in the meeting."
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Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Late Latin verb intimidatus, past participle of intimidare, formed from the prefix in- (into, to make) and timidus (timid, fearful). It entered English in the mid-17th century, shifting from its earlier ecclesiastical and scholarly roots to denote the act of compelling or deterring someone through fear.

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