Synonyms

threatening

American

[thret-n-ing] / ˈθrɛt n ɪŋ /

adjective

tending or intended to menace.

threatening gestures.
causing alarm, as by being imminent; ominous; sinister.

threatening clouds.

Related Words

See imminent, ominous.

Other Word Forms

nonthreatening adjective
nonthreateningly adverb
threateningly adverb
unthreatening adjective
unthreateningly adverb

Etymology

Origin of threatening

First recorded in 1520–30; threaten + -ing ²

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing threatening

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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.

Or the 13-year-old who was picked up by police at a bus stop in Everett, Massachusetts, on suspicion of threatening a peer.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026

Central banks in 2022 were behind the curve, mistakenly interpreting the pick-up in inflation as “transitory” and then being obliged to hike aggressively when it became clear it was more threatening than that.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

The company’s unions are demanding the company allocate 15% of its operating profits for bonuses and are threatening a general walkout from May 21 to June 7 unless a deal with management is reached.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

In 2010, as a condition of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, the newly formed company agreed to a consent decree with the government that prohibited the firm from threatening venues to use Ticketmaster.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

These threatening harangues managed to delay matters, but the Deep South lacked the votes.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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