Browbeats

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To intimidate or bully someone into doing something, often using harsh words or a stern manner
2. To force or coerce someone through aggressive or domineering speech
3. To overwhelm a person by imposing one's will with strong verbal pressure

Etymology: "Browbeats" is the third-person singular present form of "browbeat," so the real story belongs to the verb itself. It is a compound of "brow" and "beat," and the image is physical: to beat someone with the brow, or to bully them with a fierce, lowering look. The sense of forcing someone down through intimidation grew naturally out of that glaring, scowling posture, so the word has always been about pressure applied to the face and will rather than to the body.

Synonyms: bully, intimidate, coerce, dominate, press

Antonyms: encourage, support, reassure, comfort, uplift