threaten

verb

threat·​en ˈthre-tᵊn 

threatened; threatening ˈthret-niŋ 

ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

1

: to utter threats against

2

a

: to give signs or warning of : portend

the clouds threatened rain

b

: to hang over dangerously : menace

famine threatens the city

3

: to announce as intended or possible

the workers threatened a strike

4

: to cause to feel insecure or anxious

felt threatened by his brother's success

intransitive verb

1

: to utter threats

2

: to portend evil

threatener

ˈthret-nər 

ˈthre-tᵊn-ər

noun

Synonyms of threaten

• endanger
• menace

Examples of threaten in a Sentence

The mugger threatened him with a gun.

She threatened to quit if they didn't give her a raise, but no one believed her.

Civil war has been threatening the country for years.

a marriage threatened by financial problems

Overfishing threatens the survival of certain fish species.

The latest news threatens trouble for the economy.

Recent Examples on the Web

The war has also affected fertilizer supplies and prices, threatening the planting season and worsening the fate of mostly farming communities in northern Nigeria who have struggled to access their farmlands amid a deadly conflict with armed groups. — ABC News, 19 July 2026

Dhillon, earlier this month, sent letters to election officials in all 50 states threatening criminal investigations of election officials if noncitizens are found to have voted in the 2026 election. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 18 July 2026

The strikes threaten civilians and services to them, including desalination plants for drinking water, while the global economy again is on alert. — Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 18 July 2026

The widening strikes threatened civilians and services to them, including desalination plants for drinking water, while the global economy again was on alert. — Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for threaten

• kinetin
• tibetan

Kids Definition

threaten

verb

threat·​en ˈthret-ᵊn 

threatened; threatening ˈthret-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

1

: to utter threats : make threats against

threaten trespassers with arrest

2

: to give signs or warning of

clouds threatening rain

3

: to be an imminent danger to : menace

hunger threatens the town

4

: to announce as intended or possible

the workers threatened a strike

threatened to buy a car

5

: to cause to feel insecure or anxious

felt threatened by his friend's success

threateningly

ˈthret-niŋ-lē 

-ᵊn-iŋ-

adverb