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.

The Stoxx 600 Europe Banks index was down around 7% for the year, threatening to turn the tide on a three-year run.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Producers say the resulting fall in the livestock population and milk production is threatening feta, one of Greece's premier exports.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Rates on 30-year mortgages jumped to 6.38% last week, reversing a slide that had carried them to their lowest levels since 2022 and threatening the spring home-buying season.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

The nation of tropical islands in the Indian Ocean is asserting sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and is threatening international legal action to press its claim.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Her tusks weren’t much to look at, and her tail bristles seemed more delicate than threatening.

From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate

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