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BROWBEAT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
Irregular inflected form: browbeaten
I. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they browbeat ... he / she / it browbeats
Past simple: browbeat
Past participle: browbeaten
-ing form: browbeating
Sense 1
Meaning:
Discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Hypernyms (to "browbeat" is one way to...):
blarney; cajole; coax; inveigle; palaver; sweet-talk; wheedle (influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something
Sentence example:
They browbeat him into writing the letter
Sense 2
Meaning:
Be bossy towards
Example:
Her big brother always bullied her when she was young
Synonyms:
ballyrag; boss around; browbeat; bully; bullyrag; hector; push around; strong-arm
Classified under:
Hypernyms (to "browbeat" is one way to...):
intimidate (make timid or fearful)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "browbeat"):
domineer; tyrannise; tyrannize (rule or exercise power over (somebody) in a cruel and autocratic manner)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s somebody
