The action of intimidating someone; the practice of using fear or threats to make someone do something or prevent them from doing something.
From Latin intimidare, combining in- (into) + timidus (fearful), from timere (to fear). The word entered English in the 17th century, literally meaning 'to put fear into' someone.
Intimidation works by artificially inflating timidity - it takes the natural caution we all possess and amplifies it until it becomes paralyzing. The word's construction shows this perfectly: it's not about creating new fear, but driving existing fearfulness deeper 'into' someone until it controls their behavior.
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