overawe, v.
(əʊvərˈɔː)
[over- 21.]
trans. To restrain, control, or repress by awe; to keep in awe by superior influence.
| 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Feb. 142 The Oake..with shame and greefe adawed, That of a weede he was ouerawed [ed. 1597 ouercrawed]. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. i. 36. 1683 Brit. Spec. Pref. 8 Acknowledged by all our Ancient Parliaments, that were neither over-awed by Force, nor seduced by Faction. 1754–62 Hume Hist. Eng. (1806) V. lxx. 273 That he might..overawe the mutinous people. a 1832 Mackintosh Rev. of 1688, Wks. 1846 II. 23 The jury were at length over⁓awed into a verdict of ‘guilty’. |
Hence overawed (-ˈɔːd) ppl. a.; oveˈrawing vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1593 Tell-Troth's N.Y. Gift 37 They say that overawing makes fooles. 1625 Bp. R. Montagu App. Cæsar ii. ii. 125 Councils have no such over-awing power. 1805 Foster Ess. i. iv. 57 Over-awed timidity. 1899 J. Stalker Christol. of Jesus ii. 83 note, The effect is overawing in a high degree. |