browbeat

browbeat
browbeat (v.) "to bully," originally "to bear down with stern or arrogant looks," 1580s, from BROW (Cf. brow) + BEAT (Cf. beat) (v.).
t appears from the earliest quotations ... that the [i]brow in question was that of the beater, not of the beaten party; but it is not evident whether the meaning was 'to beat with one's (frowning) brows,' or 'to beat (?lower) one's brows at.' [OED]
Related: Browbeaten; browbeating.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Browbeat — Brow beat , v. t. [imp. {Browbeat}; p. p. {Browbeaten}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Browbeating}.] To depress or bear down with haughty, stern looks, or with arrogant speech and dogmatic assertions; to abash or disconcert by impudent or abusive words or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Browbeat — Brow beat , v. t. [imp. {Browbeat}; p. p. {Browbeaten}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Browbeating}.] To depress or bear down with haughty, stern looks, or with arrogant speech and dogmatic assertions; to abash or disconcert by impudent or abusive words or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • browbeat — ► VERB (past browbeat; past part. browbeaten) ▪ intimidate with words or looks …   English terms dictionary

  • browbeat — [brou′bēt΄] vt. browbeat, browbeaten, browbeating to intimidate with harsh, stern looks and talk; bully …   English World dictionary

  • browbeat — I verb abash, badger, beat down, bully, chide, cow, daunt, deflate, discourage, dishonor, domineer, dress down, drive, exert pressure on, frighten, give one a talking to, goad, harass, humble, humiliate, intimidate, make nervous, make one feel… …   Law dictionary

  • browbeat — bulldoze, bully, *intimidate, cow Analogous words: terrorize, terrify, *frighten, scare Contrasted words: *coax, cajole, wheedle, blandish …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • browbeat — [v] castigate, nag badger, bludgeon, bluster, bulldoze*, bully, coerce, cow, despotize, domineer, dragoon, frighten, harass, hector, intimidate, lean on*, lord it over*, oppress, overawe, overbear, put heat on*, put the chill on*, put through the …   New thesaurus

  • browbeat — UK [ˈbraʊˌbiːt] / US [ˈbraʊˌbɪt] verb [transitive] Word forms browbeat : present tense I/you/we/they browbeat he/she/it browbeats present participle browbeating past tense browbeat past participle browbeaten UK [ˈbraʊˌbiːt(ə)n] / US… …   English dictionary

  • browbeat — v. (D; tr.) to browbeat into (they could not browbeat him into confessing) * * * [ braʊbiːt] (D; tr.) to browbeat into (they could not browbeat him into confessing) …   Combinatory dictionary

  • browbeat — [[t]bra͟ʊbiːt[/t]] browbeats, browbeating, browbeaten VERB (The form browbeat is used in the present tense and is also the past tense.) If someone tries to browbeat you, they try to force you to do what they want. [V n] ...attempts to deceive,… …   English dictionary

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