- present participle of threaten.
threatening
Americanadjective
-
tending or intended to menace.
threatening gestures.
-
causing alarm, as by being imminent; ominous; sinister.
threatening clouds.
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of threatening
Explanation
Anything that's threatening is ominous, or scary on purpose. A bully's deep, threatening voice might frighten other children in the neighborhood. Threatening things are done in a way that expresses an intention to hurt someone. A threatening letter from your neighbor might warn of his plan to call the police if you play your music too loudly. Another neighbor angrily shaking a fist in the direction of your barking dog is threatening too. Unintentionally threatening things include looming storm clouds and terrifying waves crashing onto the beach after a hurricane.
Vocabulary lists containing threatening
myPerspectives 7.2
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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.
While threatening force, the U.S. has focused on economic pressure.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
Experts are increasingly warning of a "China shock 2.0", with a glut of inexpensive goods made in the Asian powerhouse threatening manufacturers around the world as trade deficits widen.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
One day, the Santa Ana winds stoke a raging fire on the Getty Center hill, threatening the mansions south of Sunset.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
Attorney’s Office, hundreds of cases were reopened, creating chaos and resource allocation issues, and threatening judicial integrity.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
Dark mountains rose out of the horizon—angry, sharp peaks that chewed at the sky, a mouth threatening to devour the glistening jewel in front of it.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
