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

• 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

This portable, multi-functional device tunes into all seven NOAA weather channels and automatically announces loud alerts when threatening weather conditions arise. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 July 2025

Instead of students presenting class projects, the event featured leading researchers from across the country standing in front of posters outlining their work — and the federal cuts that now threaten it. —Scott Neuman, NPR, 9 July 2025

Florida has taken multiple other steps to back the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, including having its law enforcement work in agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and threatening punishments against localities in the state that decline to partner with ICE. —Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025

Beyond market volatility, Nvidia faces ongoing geopolitical challenges that threaten its access to one of its largest markets. —ArsTechnica, 9 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for threaten

• chloromycetin
• 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