menacing

1 of 2

adjective

men·​ac·​ing ˈme-nə-siŋ 

: presenting, suggesting, or constituting a menace or threat : threatening entry 1

a menacing look

menacing words

[Harold E. Edgerton] … was also one of the first to take photographs of the menacing mushroom cloud emanating from a nuclear blast.

—Benjamin Genocchio

Ransomware is a menacing scam that involves locking businesses out of their computers and demanding payment of a ransom in exchange for the return of company systems and data.

—Roger Williams

The image is chilling: a series of menacing bear traps laid out like footsteps.

—Emily DeNitto

menacingly adverb

A man stepped menacingly from the corner brandishing a long pole …

—Elizabeth George Speare

"If you shout his name I will curse you into oblivion," muttered Tonks menacingly …

—J. K. Rowling

menacing

2 of 2

present participle of menace entry 2

Examples of menacing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Harassed all day by Minnesota's menacing pass rush, Baker Mayfield fled the pocket again — this time scrambling and weaving more 20 yards backward before launching a desperation heave that was intercepted. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

Sporting a cowboy hat, grill and goatee, Cho makes for a menacing villain who more than holds his own against the heavyweight Ali. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026

Encounter turns threatening When the food-truck operator did not go along with the demand, the encounter became more menacing, according to investigators. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

The machine has been given a distinctly Terminator-style appearance for the event, including a menacing head that makes the scene look considerably more cinematic than a conventional robotics demonstration. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English manacyng, from present participle of manacen "to menace entry 2"

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above