menacing

American

[men-i-sing] / ˈmɛn ɪ sɪŋ /

adjective

expressing or serving as a menace or threat: menacing language.

his menacing glare;
menacing language.

Related Words

See ominous.

Other Word Forms

menacingly adverb
nonmenacing adjective
unmenacing adjective

Etymology

Origin of menacing

First recorded in 1350–1400; menace ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 1937 Secretary of State Cordell Hull apologized to the German government after New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia referred to Hitler as “a fanatic who is now menacing the peace of the world.”

From The Wall Street Journal

It was a dogfight and Italy's dogs were just that bit more menacing.

From BBC

He is depicted relaxing, but the intensity of his gaze “gives it a menacing feel,” said Gregory Rubinstein, Sotheby’s head of old master drawings.

From The Wall Street Journal

A tank rumbled down the street, a mass of menacing metal.

From Literature

They were far less menacing than the roving patrols of soldiers and police officers that were ubiquitous in France.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023