- present participle of threaten.
threatening
Americanadjective
-
tending or intended to menace.
threatening gestures.
-
causing alarm, as by being imminent; ominous; sinister.
threatening clouds.
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of threatening
Explanation
Anything that's threatening is ominous, or scary on purpose. A bully's deep, threatening voice might frighten other children in the neighborhood. Threatening things are done in a way that expresses an intention to hurt someone. A threatening letter from your neighbor might warn of his plan to call the police if you play your music too loudly. Another neighbor angrily shaking a fist in the direction of your barking dog is threatening too. Unintentionally threatening things include looming storm clouds and terrifying waves crashing onto the beach after a hurricane.
Vocabulary lists containing threatening
myPerspectives 7.2
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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.
“It can absolutely be life threatening and unfortunately fatal but that’s exceedingly rare,” says Dr. Scott Commins, an associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
So far it seemed to be limited to migratory seabirds without threatening other vulnerable native populations, she said.
From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026
Mediators repeatedly warned the U.S. during the long negotiations that the posts were threatening efforts to close a deal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 24, 2026
AI is also threatening some students' future prospects.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
Big, fat flakes came and settled, threatening to cover the path if we didn’t hurry.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
