browbeat

[brou-beet] / ˈbraʊˌbit /

VERB

castigate, nag

Synonyms

STRONGEST

badger bully coerce harass hector intimidate lean on oppress

STRONG

bludgeon bluster bulldoze cow domineer dragoon frighten overawe overbear threaten tyrannize

WEAK

despotize lord it over put heat on put the chill on put through the wringer

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aid assist help leave alone

WEAK

boost coax compliment praise

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But when things started to get "really crazy", she browbeat her parents into coming with her.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2025

Musk used a lot of jargon to explain what he browbeat his staff into doing, but it's not hard to read between the lines.

From Salon • Feb. 14, 2023

“Attorney General Garland is my constituent, and I don’t browbeat my constituents,” he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

From Washington Times • Jun. 12, 2022

Let’s do some good, and let’s resist the temptation to browbeat those around us into doing good better.

From Slate • Aug. 24, 2021

I took Master Hemme’s hair from the student and recognized him as Basil, the boy Hemme had browbeat yesterday.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Vocabulary lists containing browbeat

100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"

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The Secret Life of Bees

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List 6

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