Synonyms

threaten

American

[thret-n] / ˈθrɛt n /

verb (used with object)

to utter a threat against; menace.

He threatened the boy with a beating.
to be a menace or source of danger to.

Sickness threatened her peace of mind.

Synonyms:

endanger

Antonyms:

defend, protect
to offer (a punishment, injury, etc.) by way of a threat.

They threatened swift retaliation.
to give an ominous indication of.

The clouds threaten rain.

verb (used without object)

to utter or use threats.
to indicate impending evil or mischief.

threaten British

/ ˈθrɛtən /

verb

(tr) to be a threat to
to be a menacing indication of (something); portend

dark clouds threatened rain
(when tr, may take a clause as object) to express a threat to (a person or people)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does threaten mean? To threaten someone is to indicate that you will cause harm to or create some other kind of negative consequences for them, especially to pressure them to do something or not to do something. This kind of statement is called a threat. Threatening someone often involves a promise to physically harm them in retaliation for what they have done or might do. A bank robber might threaten a bank teller by telling them he’ll shoot them if they don’t hand over the money. Some threats are simply meant to intimidate, and don’t involve pressuring someone to do something. A bully might threaten to punch you for no good reason. Not all threats involve violence. You can threaten someone with a lawsuit. The word threat can also refer to someone or something that may potentially cause harm or damage, and threaten can mean to be a source of potential harm or damage. A disease threatens your health. A security threat is someone or something that threatens to make a situation unsafe. Threat can also mean a warning or sign that harm or trouble is coming, and threaten can mean to indicate potential harm or trouble, as in It is threatening to storm out there. The adjective threatening is used to describe someone or something that causes alarm, intimidates, or is intended to intimidate, as in You look very threatening in that costume. The adjective threatened means in danger, as in I felt threatened or We need to protect threatened species. Example: The rowdy students immediately started to behave after the teacher threatened to call their parents.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of threaten

First recorded before 1000; Middle English thretnen, Old English thrēatnian, derivative of thrēat “pressure, oppression”; equivalent to threat + -en ¹

Explanation

Something that threatens makes its danger known. Storm clouds threaten rain, and bullies threaten other kids. Unfortunately, there are lots of people and things that threaten — it's a dangerous world. If someone threatens you with violence, you should call the police. The police may then threaten the criminal with arresting them. Nations threaten each other before going to war. You can also say a dangerous situation is threatening, like gloomy weather. Sometimes this word is used more lightheartedly, like if an old friend threatens to hug you to death.

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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.

See Examples For:

threaten threatens threatened threatening

Mergers and consolidations threaten to dictate which films can get made.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

They fear that any accidents could threaten not just the nearby reefs but that currents could carry spilled oil to coastal wetlands teeming with wildlife.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The company is a lot of things, combining an industry-standard rocket-launch business with a growing satellite-communications offering that could threaten the telecommunications industry.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

It also has successfully targeted U.S. bases and retains enough firepower to threaten ships and Gulf energy infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Then, unable to resist another chance to tease, she added, “Unless wicked ghosts appear and threaten to eat us. Then I shall surely scream myself. Eeeeeeek!”

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

The head of one of Hollywood’s largest talent agencies warned state leaders that a new budget bill threatens job gains from California’s film and TV credit program.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

"Today, it threatens every aspect of our political and legal system," he added.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The enduring image of Sand as a dashing figure in trousers threatens to undermine some of her traditionally feminine qualities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

But even a brief pause in shipments threatens the economy in Michoacán, where 200,000 people work in the avocado trade.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

I am hyperaware—as he leaves me, as I am surrounded by other people—of the perilous nature of what I am attempting, of the butterfly effect that threatens to flutter its wings with every interaction.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan

“They just wholly and completely abandoned their duties and threatened prosecution,” Fontes said.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened last week to hit Tehran with economic isolation "like the world has never seen before", adding that new measures were expected next week.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

"Richmond Park's red and fallow deer are wild, powerful animals. Although they may appear calm, they can react suddenly and aggressively if they feel threatened," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

Chava Cartas directs this crime drama based on Héctor de Mauleón’s account, focusing on the decisions faced by the patrolmen when threatened by the criminal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Maybe she’d threatened to tell their parents to make him stop.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

“If they want to apologize for threatening us and ruining perfectly good systems, that’s a good start.”

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026

Crisis cell spokesman Tony Hosmans told AFP the fire burning since Friday "has been contained and should no longer be able to spread" -- after threatening to spill over the German border to the east.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

The recent attacks are threatening a practice that the U.A.E. has used to prop up its crude exports and production.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Rising global bond yields are threatening a torrid stock-market rally.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

Which is why he did what he did when Bryce pushed things too far with Drake and seemed to be threatening her.

From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone

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