threat

1 of 2

noun

ˈthret 

1

: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage

2

: one that threatens

3

: an indication of something impending

the sky held a threat of rain

threat

2 of 2

verb

threated; threating; threats

archaic

: threaten

Synonyms

Noun

• danger
• menace
• risk
• peril

Examples of threat in a Sentence

Noun

He was willing to use violence and threats to get what he wanted.

She ignored their threats and continued to do what she felt was right.

a country under threat of civil war

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Adding to the threat, because of the loss of wetlands and coastal erosion, New Orleans had lost some of its natural protection and the Gulf of Mexico was getting closer every year. —Marisa Peñaloza, NPR, 24 Aug. 2025

Any threats to this funding will cause irrevocable damage to the national economy and to the entire State of Maryland. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025

Each of the tropical waves are moving west and do not pose a threat at this time. —Mike Snider, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025

On Thursday, Seattle Mariners pitcher Tayler Saucedo shared an alarming threat aimed at him and his girlfriend. —Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English thret coercion, threat, from Old English thrēat coercion; akin to Middle High German drōz annoyance, Latin trudere to push, thrust

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing threat

• bomb threat
• counter-threat
• empty threat
• idle threat
• triple threat
• under threat

Rhymes for threat

• bet
• brett
• debt
• et
• fret
• get
• jet
• let
• lett
• met
• net
• nett

Kids Definition

threat

noun

ˈthret

1

: an expression of an intent to do harm

stop making threats

2

: something that threatens

the volcano was a threat to the village

3

: an indication of something impending

the sky held a threat of rain

Legal Definition

threat

noun

: an expression of an intention to injure another : menace sense 1

criminal laws against making terroristic threats