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

In a statement to CBS News Detroit, Frontier said flight 1958 was preparing to take off from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport when the passenger allegedly made the threat. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026

These attacks raise the threat of another outbreak of a full-scale civil war. — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

The series’ pilot, co-written by show creators Ellis and Ryan Murphy, does an admirable job of introducing the characters and their fraught dynamics along with the threat of a murderer known only as the Trawler. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026

The news quickly spread as yet another harbinger of AI’s promise—or threat—of outpacing humans to become a dominant, disruptive force in math and computer science. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 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