Someone who is threatening could very easily have pursed lips, may sneer or stare violently, or put on a non-aggressive facial expression and still speak volumes through other parts of their body.
Aggressive Body Language
Sharp, angular gestures – making gestures that are not smooth, for example chopping hands, banging one fist against an open hand, finger-pointing or waving fists. Space invading – getting too close to someone else.
If you are trying to seem more intimidating, keep your body still and move deliberately. This type of body language signals assertiveness. Look well-groomed. Taking good care of your clothing and personal hygiene, and generally maintaining a good, clean appearance, helps convey a sense of assertiveness and confidence.
One of the universally understood facial gestures is disgust, involving a downturn of the mouth. That can signal disrespect, as can the sneer, when one side of the mouth is pulled up.
Facial expressions like frowning, grimacing, or rolling your eyes can instantly sour an interaction. Imagine pitching an idea and receiving a scowl in return—it would be hard not to feel discouraged.
What makes a person intimidating? People who are confrontational, aggressive, and authoritative are more likely to be seen as intimidating. Being blunt, reserved, stubborn, and opinionated can also contribute to this perception.
“Sometimes, people with psychopathy use a stare as a deliberate means of controlling and intimidating others,” she continues. “But it can also reflect cold, hard anger if they're struggling to inhibit it in the same way that other people might glare if they're upset with someone.”
A range of research published in Psychological Science suggests that the width of your face, the tilt of your head, and — in males — the hair on your face all hold the potential to project a more intimidating professional presence.
Common nonverbal cues of insecurity or nervousness: Avoiding Eye Contact: Shifting gaze, looking down, or avoiding direct eye contact. Fidgeting: Restless movements, such as tapping fingers, shaking legs, or playing with objects. Tense Posture: Stiff or hunched posture, shoulders pulled in, and limited body movement.
Hostile people are often angry, stubborn, impatient, or hotheaded. They may often get in fights. Or they may say that they feel like hitting something or someone. Hostility isolates you from other people.
Furrowed eyebrows, tense lips, a protruding jaw, a clenched jaw, and bare teeth are just some clues to anger. Gestures, like flailing arms. Posture, like a protruding chest. Physiological responses, those which a person is largely unable to control when they're angry, such as sweating and a flushed face.
Threatening and intimidating behaviors are words, actions, or implied threats that cause reasonable fear of injury to the health and safety of any person or property. These actions include but are not limited to: threats of physical assaults.
The hands are alternately clenched and opened, often with a twitching movement. The arms may be protruded, as if to avert some dreadful danger, or may be thrown wildly over the head. As fear rises to an extreme pitch, the dreadful scream of terror is heard.
If people often seem nervous or on edge when they're interacting with you, this could be a sign that you're unknowingly intimidating. Nervous behaviors could include fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, or quick, short responses. These signs might indicate that they're uncomfortable or anxious around you.
A constant stern or serious expression can make you seem intimidating and unapproachable. Even if you're just deep in thought or concentrating on something, a stern look can make people hesitant to approach you.
Achieve a perfect evil stare by tilting your head downward slightly. Narrow your eyes and push your eyebrows together. Clench your jaw and form your mouth into either a straight line or a small frown. Maintain eye contact until the other person looks away.
If you describe someone or something as intimidating, you mean that they are frightening and make people lose confidence.
Cornell University (which has a good law school) defines intimidation as “an act or course of conduct directed at a specific person to cause that person to fear or apprehend fear.” Interestingly, this criterion also meets the justification standard of self-defense in most states regarding threats to life or serious ...
Too much eye contact can be seen as aggressive and intimidating. If too little eye contact is made, you might appear inattentive and insincere. The right amount of eye contact creates trust and an overall sense of comfort. But the correct amount depends on each situation.
The "Disgust Face" A typical "disgust face" has certain main characteristics expressed in combination or alone depending on the context: retraction of the upper lip, nose scrunch, narrowed eyes, lowered brows, as well as a tongue extension (Pochedly et al. 2012; Rozin et al. 1994).
A blank expression, also known as a poker face, is a facial expression characterized by neutral positioning of the facial features, implying a lack of strong emotion. It may be caused by emotionlessness, depression, boredom or slight confusion, such as when a listener does not understand what has been said.