intimidatingly
UK[ɪnˈtɪm.ɪ.deɪ.tɪŋ.li]US[ɪnˈtɪm.ɪ.deɪ.t̬ɪŋ.li]
adv
in a manner that makes someone feel frightened or nervous, especially in order to make them do what you want
Morpheme Breakdown
in
timid
atingly
in
timid
fearful, afraid
atingly
Etymology
the word 'intimidatingly' is built upon the latin verb 'intimidare', meaning 'to make afraid'. this verb itself combines the intensive prefix 'in-' with the adjective 'timidus' (fearful), derived from 'timere' (to fear). the core root 'tim-' conveys the fundamental concept of fear. the modern english form layers on the english verbal suffix '-ate', the participial '-ing' to create an adjective, and finally the adverbial '-ly'. thus, the literal construction "into a fearful state" + "in the manner of" evolves into the modern sense of acting in a frightening or overawing manner.
Analysis
Structure: in + timid + atingly
in (latin, prefix meaning 'in, into, towards', here intensifying the state)
timid (latin, root meaning 'fearful, afraid')
atingly (english, complex adverbial suffix formed from '-ate' (verb-forming) + '-ing' (present participle/adj.) + '-ly' (adverb-forming))
Examples
she stared intimidatingly at the witness until he changed his testimony.
the sheer scale of the project can be intimidatingly complex for newcomers.
he spoke slowly and intimidatingly, leaving no room for argument.