Synonyms

threatening

American

[thret-n-ing] / ˈθrɛt n ɪŋ /

adjective

tending or intended to menace.

threatening gestures.
causing alarm, as by being imminent; ominous; sinister.

threatening clouds.

Related Words

See imminent, ominous.

Other Word Forms

nonthreatening adjective
nonthreateningly adverb
threateningly adverb
unthreatening adjective
unthreateningly adverb

Etymology

Origin of threatening

First recorded in 1520–30; threaten + -ing ²

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.

This suggests astrocytes help not only create fear memories but also guide how the brain uses those memories to choose appropriate reactions in threatening situations.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

At the rate things are heating up on Earth, threatening to fry us alive sooner than later, this scheme could supposedly reverse or slow the damage we’ve done.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Producers say the resulting fall in the livestock population and milk production is threatening feta, one of Greece's premier exports.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

"Unsustainable harvesting - particularly the removal of queen ants - can lead to colony collapse, disrupting ecosystems and threatening biodiversity," he told the BBC.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

James raised and flexed a finger, threatening to tickle me.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023