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

But government officials viewed the Ghost Dance as a threat to US Indian policy and believed these ceremonies indicated an uprising; national press coverage brought it more attention, and in mid-November, President Benjamin Harrison ordered troops to the region. —Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025

Notably, the president has neglected to make good on his threat to slap Canada with an additional 10 percent duty for running an anti-tariff ad featuring a voiceover of President Ronald Reagan in October. —Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 25 Nov. 2025

Catching passes and scoring TDs is obviously his main strength, but his speed and competitiveness can help contain top threats in situational defensive football. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Nov. 2025

The early delivery, officials said, is part of a broader push to update the US nuclear stockpile as global threats grow and Cold War-era systems reach the end of their service lives. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 25 Nov. 2025

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