Dictionary Definition
threaten
Verb
1 pose a threat to; present a danger to; "The
pollution is endangering the crops" [syn: endanger, jeopardize, jeopardise, menace, imperil, peril]
2 to utter intentions of injury or punishment
against:"He threatened me when I tried to call the police"
3 to be a menacing indication of something:"The
clouds threaten rain"; "Danger threatens"
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Etymology
Old English þrēatianPronunciation
- a UK /ˈθret.ən/
Verb
Usage notes
- This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
Translations
To make a threat against someone; to use threats
To menace, or be dangerous
To portend, or give a warning
- ttbc Indonesian: mengancam, menakut-nakuti
- ttbc Italian: minacciare
- ttbc Hindi: धमकाना
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
abuse,
admonish, advise, afflict, aggrieve, alert, anticipate, apprehend, approach, augur, await, be destined, be fated, be
imminent, be in store, be to be, be to come, befoul, bewitch, blight, bludgeon, bluster, bluster out of,
bode, brew, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, caution, come, come on, comminate, condemn, confront, corrupt, cow, croak, crucify, cry havoc, curse, damage, daunt, defile, demoralize, denounce, deprave, despoil, destroy, disadvantage, disserve, distress, do a mischief, do
evil, do ill, do wrong, do wrong by, doom, dragoon, draw near, draw nigh,
draw on, endanger,
envenom, expect, face, forebode, foresee, foretell, forewarn, forthcome, gather, get into trouble, give
fair warning, give notice, give warning, hang over, harass, harm, have a premonition, have a
presentiment, hector,
hex, hope, hover, huff, hurt, impair, impend, imperil, infect, injure, intimidate, issue an
ultimatum, jeopardize, jinx, lie ahead, lie over, look
black, look for, look forward to, look threatening, loom, lower, maltreat, menace, mistreat, molest, near, notify, outrage, overhang, persecute, plan, play havoc with, play hob
with, plot, poison, pollute, portend, preapprehend, predict, prejudice, presage, project, prophesy, put in jeopardy,
savage, scathe, sound the alarm,
systematically terrorize, taint, terrorize, tip, tip off, torment, torture, utter a caveat, utter
threats against, violate, warn, warn against, wound, wreak havoc on, wrong