idle threat

American  

[ahy-duhl thret] / ˈaɪ dəl ˈθrɛt /

noun

idle threats plural

1. a threat that is not likely to be carried out, usually because the person who made it does not really mean it.

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Example Sentences

In a country where prison is often the next stop for presidents after the Government Palace, it’s not an idle threat.

From Slate • Dec. 4, 2020

And even if his latest is merely an idle threat, it serves the same purpose.

From Salon • Apr. 2, 2019

Rather than treating that as an idle threat, the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2018

The prospect of a trade war is not an idle threat to producers of corn syrup, who have sold more than $3 billion of the sweetener to Mexico over the past five years.

From New York Times • Jun. 4, 2017

Apparently I’d frightened him with my idle threat earlier.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss