OVERAWE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does overawe mean? 

• OVERAWE (verb)
  The verb OVERAWE has 1 sense:

1. subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with a feeling of awe; frighten (as with threats)

  Familiarity information: OVERAWE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OVERAWE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they overawe    ... he / she / it overawes   
Past simple: overawed   
Past participle: overawed   
-ing form: overawing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with a feeling of awe; frighten (as with threats)

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

cow; overawe

Hypernyms (to "overawe" is one way to...):

awe (inspire awe in)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "overawe"):

buffalo (intimidate or overawe)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence examples:

Sam cannot overawe Sue
The performance is likely to overawe Sue

 Context examples 

I made him a bow and felt very much overawed.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I was touched by his gentle tone, and overawed by his high, calm mien.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Sterndale sat down with a gasp, overawed for, perhaps, the first time in his adventurous life.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Jonathan's impetuosity, and the manifest singleness of his purpose, seemed to overawe those in front of him; instinctively they cowered, aside and let him pass. In an instant he had jumped upon the cart, and, with a strength which seemed incredible, raised the great box, and flung it over the wheel to the ground.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)