menace
[ men-is ]
/ ˈmɛn ɪs /
noun
something that threatens to cause evil, harm, injury, etc.; a threat: Air pollution is a menace to health.
a person whose actions, attitudes, or ideas are considered dangerous or harmful: When he gets behind the wheel of a car, he's a real menace.
an extremely annoying person.
verb (used with object), men·aced, men·ac·ing.
to utter or direct a threat against; threaten.
to serve as a probable threat to; imperil: overdevelopment that menaces our suburbs.
verb (used without object), men·aced, men·ac·ing.
to express or serve as a threat.
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Origin of menace
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English manace, manance, from Middle French manace, menace, from Late Latin minācia “threat,” equivalent to mināc- (stem of mināx ) “jutting out, threatening” + -ia; verb from noun; see -ia
OTHER WORDS FROM menace
men·ac·er, nounpre·men·ace, noun, verb (used with object), pre·men·aced, pre·men·ac·ing.un·men·aced, adjectiveWords nearby menace
Memphis, Memphite, Memphremagog, memsahib, men, menace, menacing, menacme, menad, menadiol diacetate, menadione
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for menace
British Dictionary definitions for menace
menace
/ (ˈmɛnɪs) /
verb
to threaten with violence, danger, etc
noun
literary a threat or the act of threatening
something menacing; a source of danger
informal a nuisance
Derived forms of menace
menacer, nounmenacing, adjectivemenacingly, adverbWord Origin for menace
C13: ultimately related to Latin minax threatening, from mināri to threaten
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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