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to browbeat

to browbeat

9 8.1
To make someone do something by threatening them or using angry words
  • verb
  • /ˈbraʊˌbit/
translation icon : intimidar
  • But I don't want him to browbeat me.

They need to start browbeating their sane Republican counterparts.

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Examples

  • At another time, he thought that I was lying, although I wasn't, and he browbeat me into tears over that.

    Academic text (1997)
  • And we'll sit there and browbeat ourselves into oblivion.

  • Do you mean you have to browbeat someone to get a rehearsal out of them?

  • So long as he does not try to browbeat everyone else into thinking as he does, he is harmless enough.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The only pleasure left to him was to pretend to side with the weak and browbeat anyone who had reason to feel guilty.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • But attempts to browbeat artists using the national culture as an excuse are a different matter altogether.

    Blog text (29)
  • While your point of view is well known, you do not browbeat the reader into taking your exact stance.

    Blog text (27)
  • We come over here to work things out with them, and they insult us, they browbeat us, they lecture us about being good citizens of the planet.

  • Yet, sporadic cases of the government browbeating the press continue, and the struggle for freedom of speech can be observed even today.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The coach tried to browbeat the players into training harder by using harsh words.

Synonyms

to harass
vsto browbeat
302 4.0

Annoy someone again and again to make them feel worried or uncomfortable

is stronger and more directly threatening rather than merely persistent annoyance
to bully
vsto browbeat
  • Offensive
68 3.8

To scare or hurt someone, often someone weaker

is identical in meaning but is more formal or literary
to push around
vsto browbeat
  • Informal
66 5.6

To treat someone in a bossy way so they do what you want

is similar but emphasises harsh threatening speech rather than general unfair treatment
to boss around
vsto browbeat
  • Informal
37 4.5

Tell people what to do in a rude way when you have no right

is harsher and more openly threatening rather than merely bossy ordering
to strong-arm
vsto browbeat
  • NSFW
15 7.5

To force someone to do something by threats or violence

is alike but often relies more on harsh verbal intimidation than physical force
to bludgeon
vsto browbeat
  • NSFW
6 8.2

To force someone to do something by threats or strong pressure

focuses more on direct threatening words and bullying than sustained coercion
to hector
vsto browbeat
3 8.4

To be bossy and scare someone into doing what you want

leans more toward harsh threatening words or actions rather than mere bossiness
to dragoon
vsto browbeat
  • NSFW
1 9.7

To force someone to do something by threats or strong pressure

is similar but stresses stern words and bullying rather than formal authority
to swagger
vsto browbeat
1 7.5

To try to frighten someone by behaving in a threatening way

is more about explicit stern words and bullying rather than a show of posture
to force down someone's throat
vsto browbeat
  • Informal
1 8.3

Make someone accept ideas or opinions they do not want by pressuring them

is about direct threatening words or actions rather than forcing beliefs
to bullyrag
vsto browbeat
  • Offensive
9.9

To frighten or shout at someone to make them do what you want

focuses more on single stern threats or harsh words rather than repeated scolding
to ballyrag
vsto browbeat
  • Archaic
9.9

Make someone feel bad by bossing or bullying them

is similar but highlights harsh or threatening words rather than general bossiness

How Intimidating

to terrorize
  • NSFW
145 6.7
to coerce
  • Offensive
91 6.4
to browbeat
9 8.1
to intimidate
294 4.9
to pressure
149 4.2

Surface Forms

browbeat infinitive
browbeat past
browbeating present participle
browbeats third person singular
browbeaten past participle

Morphology

browbeat = brow + beat (semi-transparent) = brow + beat

The components 'brow' and 'beat' are identifiable, but the verbal meaning 'intimidate' is a metaphorical extension rather than literal striking, so learners may not derive the exact sense from the parts.

Etymology

The word browbeat comes from brow ('eyebrow') and beat ('to hit'). Imagine someone using a hard look to 'hit' or frighten another person, and that's why to browbeat someone is to intimidate or bully them.