Intimidé

Intimidé is a French adjective meaning “intimidated” or “made to feel afraid.” It describes a state of fear resulting from intimidation or a person who has been subjected to intimidation. The term can be used to portray psychological effects, coercive pressure, or intimidating circumstances in legal, political, or social contexts.

Etymology: The word derives from the verb intimider, which means “to intimidate.” Intimider comes from Latin intimidare, formed from timidus meaning fearful, with the sense developed through Old French into modern French.

Usage: Intimidé functions as an adjective that agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, un témoin intimidé (masculine) or une victime intimidée (feminine). It can also describe a situation that is intimidating.

In discourse, intimidé often signals diminished agency or vulnerability in response to pressure, and it appears in journalism, psychology, law, and literature when discussing coercion, whistleblowing, or conflict. The term contrasts with positive or neutral descriptors such as courage or resilience.