THREATEN

threaten

(verb) to utter intentions of injury or punishment against; “He threatened me when I tried to call the police”

threaten

(verb) to be a menacing indication of something; “The clouds threaten rain”; “Danger threatens”

endanger, jeopardize, jeopardise, menace, threaten, imperil, peril

(verb) pose a threat to; present a danger to; “The pollution is endangering the crops”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Verb

threaten (third-person singular simple present threatens, present participle threatening, simple past and past participle threatened)

To make a threat against someone; to use threats.

To menace, or be dangerous.

To portend, or give a warning of.

(figuratively) To be close to equaling or surpassing (a record, etc.)

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See English catenative verbs

Source: Wiktionary


Threat"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Threatened; p. pr. & vb. n. Threatening.] Etym: [OE. . See Threat, v. t.]

1. To utter threats against; to menace; to inspire with apprehension; to alarm, or attempt to alarm, as with the promise of something evil or disagreeable; to warn. Let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. Acts iv. 17.

2. To exhibit the appearance of (something evil or unpleasant) as approaching; to indicate as impending; to announce the conditional infliction of; as, to threaten war; to threaten death. Milton. The skies look grimly And threaten present blusters. Shak.

Syn.

– To menace.

– Threaten, Menace. Threaten is Anglo-Saxon, and menace is Latin. As often happens, the former is the more familiar term; the latter is more employed in formal style. We are threatened with a drought; the country is menaced with war. By turns put on the suppliant and the lord: Threatened this moment, and the next implored. Prior. Of the sharp ax Regardless, that o'er his devoted head Hangs menacing. Somerville.

Threat"en, v. i.

Definition: To use threats, or menaces; also, to have a threatening appearance. Though the seas threaten, they are merciful. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

24 January 2025

AGITATION

(noun) a state of agitation or turbulent change or development; “the political ferment produced new leadership”; “social unrest”


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