frighten (verb)
61intimidate — verb (T) to frighten someone by behaving in a threatening way, especially in order to make them do what you want: Buildings were bombed in an attempt to intimidate the opposition. intimidation noun (U): allegations of police intimidation …
62overstate — verb (T) to talk about something in a way that makes it seem more important, serious etc than it really is; exaggerate: We must not frighten people by overstating the dangers. opposite understate …
63unnerve — verb (T) to upset or frighten someone so that they lose their confidence or their ability to think clearly: Her first encounter with the boss unnerved her. unnerving adjective …
64cow — verb has he cowed you all with his threats? Syn: intimidate, daunt, browbeat, bully, tyrannize, scare, terrorize, frighten, dishearten, unnerve, subdue; informal psych out, bulldoze …
65daunt — verb wintry conditions did not daunt the runners Syn: discourage, deter, demoralize, put off, dishearten, dispirit; intimidate, abash, take aback, throw, cow, overawe, awe, frighten, scare, unman, dismay, disconcert …
66intimidate — verb Rico sent his goons to intimidate the local merchants Syn: frighten, menace, terrify, scare, terrorize, cow, dragoon, subdue; threaten, browbeat, bully, pressure, harass, harry, hassle, hound, torment, tyrannize …
67overawe — verb Jane was overawed by her landlady Syn: intimidate, daunt, cow, disconcert, unnerve, subdue, dismay, frighten, alarm, scare, terrify; informal psych out …
68startle — verb naturally their screaming startled me Syn: surprise, frighten, scare, alarm, give someone a shock/fright/jolt, make someone jump; perturb, unsettle, agitate, disturb, disconcert, disquiet; informal give someone a turn, make someone jump out… …
69terrorize — verb terrorized by racist thugs Syn: persecute, victimize, torment, harass, tyrannize, intimidate, menace, threaten, bully, browbeat; scare, frighten, terrify, petrify …
70unnerve — verb the bleakness of his gaze unnerved her Syn: demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, daunt, alarm, frighten, dismay, disconcert, discompose, perturb, upset, discomfit, take aback, unsettle, disquiet, fluster, agitate …
