menace

American  

[men-is] / ˈmɛn ɪs /

noun

menaces plural

1. something that threatens to cause evil, harm, injury, etc.; a threat.

   Air pollution is a menace to health.

2. 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.

3. an extremely annoying person.

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verb (used with object)

menaces, present (3rd person singular) menaced, past participle, past menacing present participle

1. to utter or direct a threat against; threaten.

2. to serve as a probable threat to; imperil.

   overdevelopment that menaces our suburbs.

verb (used without object)

menaces, present (3rd person singular) menaced, past participle, past menacing present participle

1. to express or serve as a threat.

menace British  

/ ˈmɛnɪs /

verb

1. to threaten with violence, danger, etc

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noun

1. literary a threat or the act of threatening

2. something menacing; a source of danger

3. informal a nuisance

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• menacer
  noun
• premenace
  noun
• menacing
  adjective
• unmenaced
  adjective
• menacingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• menaces
  plural

Participles

• menacing
  present
• menaced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• menace
  simple
• menaces
  simple
• have menaced
  perfect
• has menaced
  perfect
• am menacing
  progressive
• are menacing
  progressive
• is menacing
  progressive
• have been menacing
  perfect progressive
• has been menacing
  perfect progressive

Past

• menaced
  simple
• had menaced
  perfect
• was menacing
  progressive
• were menacing
  progressive
• had been menacing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will menace
  simple
• will have menaced
  perfect
• will be menacing
  progressive
• will have been menacing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

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

Explanation

If it's threatening you or otherwise posing some sort of danger, then it's a menace. Angry rabid dogs, smog clouds, and annoying little brothers are all probable menaces. The word menace works as both a noun and a verb, but it wasn't used to describe threatening or bothersome people until 1936. Before then, common menaces probably included things like the plague, locusts, and roving bands of pirate ships. Today, a bad reputation can menace an otherwise promising career, weeds can menace your garden, and burglars are a menace to society.

Example Sentences

Sutton added: "He was sharp off the left, drifting inside to play quick, incisive passes. He was creative and cunning. He looked unburdened. He was a real menace with Jamal Musiala."

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

Bassist and singer Geddy Lee, his voice eerily well-preserved for a 72-year-old, rode the contours of these numbers with electrifying menace and character, justifying all the risks inherent in this reunion tour.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

The report defines “forced labor” as “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty for its nonperformance and for which the worker does not offer himself voluntarily.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

"There's some menace, there's this animal component in Max Cady that has always been there, that is so physical," Bardem told journalists ahead of the June 5 series' release on Apple TV.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

The assailing hosts halted, foiled by the silent menace of rock and wall.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

Related Words

• endanger
• imperil
• intimidate
• jeopardize
• terrorize
• threaten