Intimidating means frightening, alarming, or coercive. Find out the origin, usage, and examples of this word, as well as related terms and translations. INTIMIDATION definition : 1. the action of frightening or threatening someone, usually in order to persuade them to do…. Learn more. Definition of intimidating adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. frightening in a way that makes a person feel less confident. intimidating for/to somebody This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. The atmosphere was less intimidating than I had imagined. If you describe someone or something as intimidating, you mean that they are frightening and make people lose confidence. He was a huge, intimidating figure.