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

Georgia lurks as well — Kirby Smart seems to coach up a menacing defense every year. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Gregory drew her as mean, menacing, and thoroughly indifferent to male-centric standards of beauty and decorum. — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

The 30-foot-high blow-up figure, which features Statham looking menacing and wielding a weapon, has been traveling. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026

The man, now identified as Andrew Truelove, 41, was quickly taken into custody and charged with felony burglary as a hate crime and felony menacing as a hate crime, according to a Manhattan District Attorney's complaint obtained by USA TODAY. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 10 Aug. 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