atemorizar

Senses

1. 1.

   to frighten, to scare

   to cause fear or terror in someone

2. 2.

   to intimidate

   to make timid or fearful, especially through threats or displays of power

Examples

• "O barulho estranho atemorizou as crianças durante a noite."

  The strange noise frightened the children during the night.

• "Os criminosos tentaram atemorizar a população local."

  The criminals tried to intimidate the local population.

• "Não se deixe atemorizar pelas ameaças dele."

  Don't let yourself be frightened by his threats.

Usage

Formal register verb, more common in written language than everyday speech. Brazilians often prefer "assustar" or "intimidar" in casual conversation. Commonly used in the pronominal form "atemorizar-se" (to become frightened).