Standard Lemma guide

browbeat

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation, US: /ˈbɹaʊ.biːt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B R AW1 B IY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To bully in an intimidating, bossy, or supercilious way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Though the teacher browbeat all the children, they still acted out during the lesson.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bully, cow, domineer, intimidate, buffalo, bulldoze, browbeat, dastardize, daunt, dishearten, do down, drive, hector, menace, strong-arm

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bully, swagger

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wheedle, cajole, palaver, blarney, coax, sweet-talk, inveigle

3

verb

Meaning 3

be bossy towards

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Her big brother always bullied her when she was young

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: strong-arm, bully, bullyrag, ballyrag, boss around, hector, push around

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: intimidate

Narrower terms: tyrannize, tyrannise, domineer

History

Etymology

From brow + beat.

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَخَافَ (ʔaḵāfa) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Arabic: أَرْعَبَ (ʔarʕaba) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Arabic: خَوَّفَ (ḵawwafa) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Arabic: أَرْهَبَ (ʔarhaba) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Bulgarian: спла́швам (splášvam) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Bulgarian: спла́ша (spláša) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Catalan: intimidar — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Czech: zastrašovat — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Czech: zastrašit — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Dutch: intimideren — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Dutch: inschuchteren — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Dutch: bruuskeren — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Finnish: pelotella — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Finnish: tyrannisoida — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Finnish: pomottaa — to bully in an intimidating way
  • French: intimider — to bully in an intimidating way
  • French: brusquer — to bully in an intimidating way
  • German: einschüchtern — to bully in an intimidating way
  • German: unter Druck setzen — to bully in an intimidating way
  • German: tyrannisieren — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Greek: αποπαίρνω (apopaírno) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Italian: intimidire — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Polish: zastraszać — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Polish: zastraszyć — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Portuguese: intimidar — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Russian: запу́гивать (zapúgivatʹ) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Russian: пуга́ть (pugátʹ) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Russian: страща́ть (straščátʹ) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Russian: наводи́ть страх (navodítʹ strax) — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Scottish Gaelic: sàraich — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Spanish: intimidar — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Swedish: köra med — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Swedish: tyrannisera — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Swedish: hunsa — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Turkish: korkutmak — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Turkish: göz korkutmak — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Turkish: göz dağı vermek — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Vietnamese: nạt nộ — to bully in an intimidating way
  • Vietnamese: bắt nạt — to bully in an intimidating way