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

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.

His statement provoked a strong reaction from the campus's student collective, which is threatening to sue him for defamation.

From Barron's

It was supposed to be published in 2023, the culmination of a direct-democracy initiative that immediately raised the hackles of agriculture lobbies that accused the government of threatening their livelihoods.

From Barron's

Now that he was no longer trying to attack them, he didn’t seem so threatening.

From Literature

Rapidly rising costs outpaced most people’s income growth; the pandemic exposed how vulnerable workers were to economic shocks; and now, AI is threatening to replace jobs.

From MarketWatch

Moscow has been threatening a host of internet platforms with forced slowdowns or outright bans if they do not comply with Russian laws.

From Barron's

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