Wording help please?

Question

Hi,Could you please tell me, are these two words interchangeable? no difference?He [ threatened / intimidated ] to take me to court for not paying the bill.Britain [ threatened / intimidated ] to break off diplomatic relations.A mask robber  [ threatened / intimidated ] the bank staff with a gun.Cheers

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

The three given sentences use "threatened." "Intimidated" is not right in any of them. And in the third one it is "A masked robber..."

Anonymous · Answer

These two words are used in similar situations but the usage is slightly different - "intimidated" is more subtle and the more difficult of the two to use - for example:

He's a lawyer whose job is to intimidate people who haven't paid their bills, so that they'll pay up on their own without any legal action.

Because of intense pressure from the US and several EU countries, a reluctant Britain has been intimidated into breaking off diplomatic relations with ______ .

A masked gunman operating in the neighborhood has intimidated the only bank not hit yet into reducing its hours and not allowing more than five people in the bank at the same time.

CalifJim · Answer

John Akiare these two words interchangeable?

No. The meanings are a little different, and the grammar is very different.

Meanings

threaten: to tell someone that you might or you will cause them harm, especially in order to make them do something
intimidate: to deliberately make someone feel frightened; to frighten someone or make them feel nervous

Grammar

You can threaten to do something, or you can threaten someone or threaten someone with something.

He threatened to take me to court for not paying the bill.
Britain threatened to break off diplomatic relations.
He broke down the door and threatened the landlord.
A masked robber threatened the bank staff with a gun.  All OK.

intimidated usually appears as be intimidated by or feel intimidated by. You can't intimidate to do something (as with threaten). You can intimidate someone. You can intimidate someone with something, but this construction is relatively rare.

He intimidated to WRONG! take me to court for not paying the bill.
Britain intimidated to WRONG! break off diplomatic relations.
A masked robber intimidated the bank staff with a gun. OK.

Also, with be/feel intimidated by.

Animals may be intimidated by booming voices.
Don't feel intimidated by other people's knowledge.
I didn't ride my bike because I was intimidated by the steep hills.

CJ

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