to overawe

Examples

• All

• Despite a lack of political cohesion, civilian cooperation, and military fitness, all three commanders set about building a military district sufficient to "overawe the Indians."

  Academic text (2011)

• So when the first alien ship lands on Earth, they attempt to overawe the natives with the might of their matchlock muskets.

  Blog text (6)

• Medusa, with her orbit-to-surface missiles and antimatter warheads, was meant to overawe any possible opposition.

  Fiction book (2000)

• In the distance, a man-of-war is slowly steaming out of the harbor on its way to the lower coast to overawe the Portuguese making futile protests against English domination in the neighborhood of Delagoa Bay.

  Blog text (22)

• Determined to preempt Cherokee resistance, Lindsay began to assemble a force large enough "to overawe the Indians." He expanded Georgia's existing posts and authorized and manned nine more.

  Academic text (2011)

• The majestic mountains seemed to overawe all who stood in their shadow.

• The teacher's impressive knowledge of history can overawe her students during lectures.

• His confident speech overawed the audience, leaving them in complete silence.

Synonyms

F

to frighten

vsto overawe

540 1.0

To make someone feel afraid

adds influence and restraint by creating awe as well as fear

T

to terrify

vsto overawe

148 3.2

To make someone feel very frightened

uses fear plus a sense of awe to subdue rather than just frighten

T

to terrorize

vsto overawe

• NSFW

145 6.7

To frighten someone very much by using threats or violence

may inspire awe as part of intimidation rather than only violence

O

to overwhelm

vsto overawe

42 4.0

Defeat someone or something completely using greater force

achieves submission through awe or intimidation rather than physical force

O

to overpower

vsto overawe

18 5.7

To feel unable to think and act because of a very strong feeling such as fear or a strong smell

focuses more on control through awe or fear than overwhelming sensation

C

to cow

vsto overawe

17 8.3

To frighten someone so they do what you want

adds an element of awe or high respect to that intimidation

S

to scare the bejesus out of

vsto overawe

• Informal

5 8.8

To make someone very afraid

works by inspiring lasting awe or respect as well as sudden fear

P

to put the fear of God into

vsto overawe

• Informal

3 8.2

Make people very afraid and make them respect you by showing power

uses awe plus fear to restrain or intimidate rather than only warning

H

to hold over

vsto overawe

3 7.2

To threaten someone with secret information to make them obey

achieves restraint via imposing awe or fear rather than blackmail

S

to swagger

vsto overawe

1 7.5

To try to frighten someone by behaving in a threatening way

creates submission through awe or respect as well as threat

O

to overbear

vsto overawe

1 8.4

To use power to stop objections or complaints

relies more on inspiring awe or fear than on pure authority

O

to overmaster

vsto overawe

• Literature

1 9.1

To defeat and control someone or something completely

prefers restraint via awe or fear instead of sheer overpowering force

Antonyms

B

to bolster confidence

1 4.0

To make someone feel more sure of themselves

How Intimidating

to overawe

• Formal

1 8.2

to intimidate

294 4.9

to awe

24 4.1

to impress

457 2.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology