menace

1 of 2

noun

men·​ace ˈme-nəs 

1

: a show of intention to inflict harm : threat

exploding in menaces and threats of vengeance

—George Meredith

2

a

: one that represents a threat : danger

the intoxicated motorist is a menace to life and limb

—Wayne Hughes

b

: an annoying person

her friends were beginning to find her a menace

—Guy McCrone

menace

2 of 2

verb

menaced; menacing

transitive verb

1

: to make a show of intention to harm

menaced him with immediate expulsion

—G. B. Shaw

2

: to represent or pose a threat to : endanger

menaced by a group of toughs after his car goes kaput

—Leah Rozen

intransitive verb

: to act in a threatening manner

The bear menaced with its mouth wide open.

Synonyms

Noun

• danger
• hazard
• imminence
• peril
• pitfall
• risk
• threat
• trouble

Verb

• adventure
• compromise
• endanger
• gamble (with)
• hazard
• imperil
• jeopard
• jeopardize
• peril
• risk
• venture

Examples of menace in a Sentence

Noun

There was an atmosphere of menace in the city.

She could hear the menace in his voice.

Verb

menaced the children by leaving them in the car unattended

stockpiles of nuclear weapons that continue to menace the inhabitants of this planet

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Tragedy leads Mariana to question prior certainties about Northern European role models and indeed parenting, as the series, a distinctive family dramedy with an indie air, builds with sense of menace to an unpredictable ending. —John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024

Fans didn’t have to wait long for the next big bad, as David Morrissey brought one of Kirkman and Adlard’s most iconic villains, the Governor, from paneled page menace to horrifying small-screen life. —Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Mar. 2024

In Israel, a left-wing coalition with Arab and Jewish members decided to join Zionist parties of the left and the center in endorsing the centrist Benny Gantz for prime minister, with a goal of ousting Benjamin Netanyahu, seen by the group as a menace to Israel’s democracy. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024

Over the past two years of Putin’s menace, approximately 10 thousand Ukrainian civilians have been killed and close to 20 thousand injured. —Katya Soldak, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

Slow-moving brackish water, threatening to swallow whatever comes near, menaces in the background. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024

Risk management continues to be important as companies face a financial menace that could disrupt their operations. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2024

What was built as a luxury townhome development with a zen garden, fitness center and lap pool became a sober living compound and a menace to the neighbors. —The Arizona Republic, 16 Jan. 2024

Biden can reverse that by capitalizing on his State of the Union momentum and campaigning personally and aggressively among voters, showing his energy, warning of the Trump menace and displaying humor. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024

Verb

Weaver also menaced Marvel heroes as the villainous Alexandra in Netflix's The Defenders; delighted fans with a cameo appearance in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021); and starred in the 2023 Amazon Prime Video miniseries The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. —EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024

Local business leaders and politicians hope the new operation can help downtown San Jose escape the perils of a doom loop, a vicious cycle that menaces urban centers nationwide. —George Avalos, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024

In an overwhelmingly straight film universe, good gay characters helped straight characters; bad gay characters menaced them. —Mark Harris Rf. Alvarez, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024

The group’s existence came to light after several deputies — two of whom allegedly admitted to having Indians tattoos — menaced a group of teens during a boozy confrontation outside a bowling alley. —Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024

Right now, war—or the threat of it—menaces East Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. —Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

In Washington, protesters stormed or menaced a Capitol Hill office building and the headquarters of the DNC. —Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023

The cousins are threatened, menaced, and forcibly separated, and Seydou, his face battered and bloodied, lands in a Libyan prison, complete with a torture chamber. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024

In fact, in 1990, when Iraq menaced Saudi Arabia after invading Kuwait, President George H. W. Bush did come to the rescue with military force—but he was not required to do so by any treaty or agreement. —Fareed Zakaria, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English manace "act of threatening, threat, exposure to a threat," borrowed from Anglo-French manace, manance (also continental Old French manace, menace), going back to Latin mināciae (plural only) "threats" (Late Latin in singular), noun derivative of mināc-, mināx "menacing, threatening, boding ill," from minārī "to threaten, speak or act menacingly" + -āc-, -āx, deverbal suffix denoting habitual or successful performance (probably going back to Indo-European *-eh₂, noun ending + *-k-, suffixal formative) — more at minatory

Note: The English spelling menace, in use since the 16th century, most likely copies Modern French.

Verb

Middle English manacen, manessen, manauncen, borrowed from Anglo-French manacer, manacier, going back to Vulgar Latin *mināciāre, noun derivative of Late Latin minācia "threat" — more at menace entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

menace

1 of 2 noun

men·​ace ˈmen-əs 

1

: someone or something that represents a threat : danger

2

: an annoying person : nuisance

menace

2 of 2 verb

menaced; menacing

1

: to make a show of intention to harm : threaten

2

: endanger

menacingly

ˈmen-ə-siŋ-lē 

adverb

Legal Definition

menace

1 of 2 noun

men·​ace ˈme-nəs 

1

: a show of an intention to inflict especially physical harm

accomplished against a person's will by means of force,…menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury

—California Penal Code

2

: one who represents a threat

menace

2 of 2 verb

menaced; menacing

transitive verb

1

: to make a show of intention to harm

2

: to represent or pose a threat to

intransitive verb

: to act in a threatening manner

menacingly adverb