threatening
adjective
threat·en·ing
ˈthret-niŋ 
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
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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threatening. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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