Intimidators

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of individuals who instill fear or anxiety in others through aggressive behavior or threatening presence
2. People who use coercion or forceful tactics to dominate or unsettle others, often intended to create a sense of dread
3. Individuals who exert psychological pressure or intimidation on others to manipulate or control their actions and responses

Etymology: "Intimidators" is simply the plural of "intimidator," a noun formed in English from the verb "intimidate" plus the agent suffix "-or," which marks a person or thing that performs an action. The verb is the more interesting half: it comes from Latin "intimidare," meaning to make timid or to frighten, built from "in-" and "timidus" (fearful), the same root that gives English "timid." The suffix has a longer road behind it. The "-or" ending descends from Latin "-tor," which passed into Old French as "-eor" and then into Middle English as "-our," the spelling that survives in words like "actor" and "author." English later added the spelling "-or" as the standard form, so "intimidator" carries a suffix that has been worn down and reshaped across many centuries of use.

Synonyms: bully, threatener