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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• idle threats
  plural

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

idle threat

Or maybe the signs had been an idle threat.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2022

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

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

Although humanitarian help is not against the law, this is not an idle threat, says Hernandez, the church volunteer.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

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