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.

---

Example Sentences

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

Since California is a state where direct democracy is a way of life, this is no idle threat.

From The Guardian • Oct. 27, 2019

Chinese officials say they do not dismiss anything as an idle threat.

From New York Times • May 29, 2018

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

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss