threaten
Americanverb (used with object)
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to utter a threat against; menace.
He threatened the boy with a beating.
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to be a menace or source of danger to.
Sickness threatened her peace of mind.
- Synonyms:
- endanger
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to offer (a punishment, injury, etc.) by way of a threat.
They threatened swift retaliation.
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to give an ominous indication of.
The clouds threaten rain.
verb (used without object)
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to utter or use threats.
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to indicate impending evil or mischief.
verb
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(tr) to be a threat to
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to be a menacing indication of (something); portend
dark clouds threatened rain
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to express a threat to (a person or people)
Usage
What does threaten mean? To threaten someone is to indicate that you will cause harm to or create some other kind of negative consequences for them, especially to pressure them to do something or not to do something. This kind of statement is called a threat. Threatening someone often involves a promise to physically harm them in retaliation for what they have done or might do. A bank robber might threaten a bank teller by telling them he’ll shoot them if they don’t hand over the money. Some threats are simply meant to intimidate, and don’t involve pressuring someone to do something. A bully might threaten to punch you for no good reason. Not all threats involve violence. You can threaten someone with a lawsuit. The word threat can also refer to someone or something that may potentially cause harm or damage, and threaten can mean to be a source of potential harm or damage. A disease threatens your health. A security threat is someone or something that threatens to make a situation unsafe. Threat can also mean a warning or sign that harm or trouble is coming, and threaten can mean to indicate potential harm or trouble, as in It is threatening to storm out there. The adjective threatening is used to describe someone or something that causes alarm, intimidates, or is intended to intimidate, as in You look very threatening in that costume. The adjective threatened means in danger, as in I felt threatened or We need to protect threatened species. Example: The rowdy students immediately started to behave after the teacher threatened to call their parents.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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threatenernoun
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threateninglyadverb
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prethreatenverb (used with object)
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rethreatenverb
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outthreatenverb (used with object)
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threateningadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have threatenedperfect
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has threatenedperfect 3rd person singular
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have been threateningperfect progressive
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has been threateningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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threateningparticiple
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are threateningprogressive
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threatenssingular 3rd person
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is threateningprogressive 3rd person singular
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am threateningprogressive 1st person singular
Past
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had threatenedperfect
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was threateningprogressive singular
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threatenedparticiple
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had been threateningperfect progressive
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threatenedsimple
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were threateningprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of threaten
First recorded before 1000; Middle English thretnen, Old English thrēatnian, derivative of thrēat “pressure, oppression”; equivalent to threat + -en 1
Explanation
Something that threatens makes its danger known. Storm clouds threaten rain, and bullies threaten other kids. Unfortunately, there are lots of people and things that threaten — it's a dangerous world. If someone threatens you with violence, you should call the police. The police may then threaten the criminal with arresting them. Nations threaten each other before going to war. You can also say a dangerous situation is threatening, like gloomy weather. Sometimes this word is used more lightheartedly, like if an old friend threatens to hug you to death.
Vocabulary lists containing threaten
Instead of "Said": Vexed Verbiage to Express Anger
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Check It Out, Mate: Chess Vocabulary
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Apart from denying Pakistan's allegation that it had been providing safe harbour to militants, Afghanistan's government has repeatedly said its territory is not being used to threaten the security of other countries.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
While that may sound like positive news, researchers say the population has already reached levels that could threaten its long term survival.
From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026
The 21st-Century currencies threaten the dollar’s global dominance, he said.
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
The Indian currency has shed over 6% against the dollar so far in 2026, hammered by high oil prices that threaten to swell India’s import bill and spur inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
The United States continued to threaten Cuba; Fidel Castro was hearing rumors of new plots to bring him down.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
