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

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verb

threated; threating; threats

archaic

: threaten

Synonyms

Noun

• danger
• hazard
• imminence
• menace
• peril
• pitfall
• risk
• trouble

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

So data shows that three out of four election officials say threats have increased in recent years, and one in six election workers say that they have been threatened according to a 2022 survey. —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024

The Biden administration is pushing China to change an industrial policy that poses a threat to U.S. jobs, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday after ending four days of talks with Chinese officials. —CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024

The search for a stable salary and benefits, however, often poses a threat to this resolve. —Chloe Berger, Fortune, 8 Apr. 2024

The Biden administration will push China to change an industrial policy that poses a threat to U.S. jobs, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday after wrapping up four days of talks with Chinese officials. —Fatima Hussein, Fortune Asia, 8 Apr. 2024

Those who remained in the cellar were presumed to be too gravely wounded to pose a threat. —Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

But last month, several Chinese state media outlets published editorials challenging the notion that China’s supply glut poses a threat to other economies. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024

The Drug Enforcement Agency has called fentanyl the single deadliest drug threat the country has ever faced. —Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024

The central United States is expected to face multiple weather threats this weekend, from high winds to fire to severe storms, as a large storm system moves across the region. —Daniel Amarante, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2024

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

• triple threat
• idle threat
• counter-threat
• under threat
• bomb threat
• empty threat

Kids Definition

threat

noun

ˈthret

1

: an expression of an intent to do harm

stop making threats

2

: something that threatens

the crumbling cliff was a threat to the village below

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