Meaning & use
browbeat
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Meaning
verbtransitivedisapproving
To frighten or pressure someone with stern words or a threatening manner until they give in to what you want.
Grammar: Takes an object, often followed by into: browbeat the witness into silence.
Patterns
- browbeat someone into something
- browbeat someone into doing something
The manager tried to browbeat the staff into working through the weekend.
She refused to be browbeaten by the lawyer's loud questions.
Older students sometimes browbeat the younger ones into handing over their snacks.
Word forms
| third person singular | browbeats |
|---|---|
| past tense | browbeat |
| past participle | browbeaten |
| -ing form | browbeating |
Common combinations
- browbeat someone into submission
- The committee tried to browbeat him into submission, but he held firm.
- browbeat a witness
- The lawyer was told not to browbeat the witness.
- browbeat into agreeing
- They browbeat the council into agreeing to the plan.
- refuse to be browbeaten
- Despite the shouting, the junior doctor refused to be browbeaten.
- browbeat the public
- Some advertisers browbeat the public with constant, loud messages.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bully
- Bully can describe any repeated harm to a weaker person, whereas browbeat focuses on using stern words and pressure to force a decision.
- intimidate
- Intimidate is more general and can work through fear alone, while browbeat usually includes a loud, domineering manner.
- coerce
- Coerce is more formal and may involve threats or force, whereas browbeat suggests a verbal assault.
- hector
- Hector means to lecture or nag in a bossy way and is a bit less severe than browbeat.
Opposites
Word family
- browbeaten adjective
- worn down or made submissive by bullying
- browbeating noun
- the act of bullying someone with stern words
- brow noun
- the forehead, from which the idea of a stern, forbidding look comes
Practice
The boss tried to ___ the new employee into signing the contract by shouting and threatening to fire her.
Choose one answer.
Browbeat means to pressure someone with harsh, forceful words. Coax and convince suggest gentle persuasion, and reward does not involve threats.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “browbeat”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.