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

Supply disruptions have also hit hard in Europe and Africa, where countries are responding to rising fuel costs and a considerable threat to food security. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 5 June 2026

The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) has paused all dog intakes, adoptions, and foster placements because of a threat of parvovirus. —Adam Thompson, CBS News, 5 June 2026

Capitol police officers have sued over the initiative in a Washington, DC federal court, saying the fund could further embolden people who have already subjected them to harassment and death threats. —Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 5 June 2026

In a campaign that started Sunday, the unknown threat actor abused the mechanism that allows Dashlane users to add new devices, such as computers or phones, to their accounts. —Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 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