threatening

adjective

threat·​en·​ing ˈthret-niŋ How to pronounce threatening (audio)
ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ
: expressing or suggesting a threat of harm, danger, etc.
received a threatening message
a threatening manner
: indicating or suggesting the approach of possible trouble or danger
saw threatening clouds on the horizon
threateningly
ˈthret-niŋ-lē
ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ- How to pronounce threatening (audio)
adverb
gestured threateningly

Examples of threatening in a Sentence

economists warning of a threatening recession a threatening silence followed the loud thump in the adjoining motel room threatening rocks lined that narrow stretch of the river through which we would be rafting
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But that ally could soon make the Middle East look a lot more threatening. Daniel Byman, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025 The risks and costs of this crisis are a thousand times more threatening to our country than COVID-19. Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025 These are combined into complex emotional models of potentially threatening circumstances. ArsTechnica, 21 May 2025 Hiring manager: Who are your most threatening competitors? Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for threatening

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of threatening was in 1530

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threatening. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on threatening

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!