einschüchternd

intimidating

adjective EYN-shuekh-ternd Rare

Also means

daunting

Usage Note

Einschüchternd describes someone whose presence or manner makes others feel small or afraid. It is the present participle of einschüchtern used as an attributive adjective, common in character descriptions and reviews.

Examples

"Sein einschüchterndes Schweigen ließ alle im Raum nervös werden."

Natural Translation

His intimidating silence made everyone in the room nervous.

Literal Translation

His intimidating silence let all in the room nervous become.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Body Parts: Vocabulary + How to Say It Hurts

Learn German body parts with der/die/das and plurals, plus the two ways to say something hurts: Mir tut der Kopf weh and Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

How to Memorize German Vocabulary Fast

Memorize German vocabulary fast with a five-step workflow: drill the top 100 words, learn nouns with their article, color-code gender, and use spaced repetition

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Colors: Names, Shades, and Idioms

German colors are adjectives that take endings — say das rote Auto, not das rot Auto. Get the names, shades, the das-Rot rule, and 14 color idioms.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

Tipping in Germany: A Visitor's Etiquette Guide

Tipping in Germany means saying your total out loud, not leaving coins. Learn the exact phrases, how much to tip, and the Sie-vs-du etiquette travelers need.

June 5, 2026 6 min read