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 of threat

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

The threat of the dry lightning is spinning off from a monsoonal pattern in the desert Southwest that the weather service said is developing off a high-pressure dome. — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

For the first time in many years, the 2025 French national-security-strategy document is focused on a conventional threat in Europe. — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 9 July 2026

Cord-cutting, dismissed as a remote threat by pay-TV operators, has exacted a severe toll, reducing the size of the overall pay bundle by more than 30% over the past decade. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 July 2026

Islamic extremism remains the biggest threat but over the past five years, threats from far-right groups and hostile states have significantly grown, said Laurence Taylor, head of counterterrorism police. — ABC News, 9 July 2026

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