Thursday, January 3, 2013

intimidate



Arising from 17th Century Latin, intimidare meaning to ‘fill with fear’ or ‘make timid’ continues to be used in similar contexts nowadays.

It expands to include the application or threat of force to stop people from taking action e.g. exercising their right to vote in an election.

It also implies the uneven status that overpowers one person in the presence of another.


In the news, acts of intimidation appear in articles that are likely to relate to autocratic governments, political power plays by people against others and bullying.

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