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menace
[ men-is ]
/ ˈmɛn ɪs /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use menace in a sentence
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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