The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word HECTORED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
H
E
C
T
O
R
E
D
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "was intimidating" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case was intimidating = hectored.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does HECTORED mean?
HECTORED verb- To dominate or intimidate in a blustering way; to bully, to domineer.
- To behave like a hector or bully; to bluster, to swagger; to bully.