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

2 of 2

verb

threated; threating; threats

archaic

: threaten

Synonyms

Noun

• danger
• menace
• risk
• peril

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

The anonymous messages, which at times reached 40–50 per day, accused Owen of cheating and targeted Lauryn with threats. —Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Human intervention has helped to curb the effects on some of the most imperiled native species, and in some cases, even succeeded in recovery efforts, but the overarching threat of climate change persists. —John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025

The automaker is the latest British company to be hit by a cybersecurity incident in recent months amid a surge in cyber and ransomware attacks globally, as increasingly sophisticated threat actors disrupt operations and compromise sensitive data. —Pushkala Aripaka, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025

Evacuation information from Cal Fire Evacuation Warnings Potential threat to life and/or property. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025

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

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

Rhymes for threat

• bet
• brett
• debt
• et
• fret
• get
• jet
• let
• lett
• met
• net
• nett

Kids Definition

threat

noun

ˈthret

1

: an expression of an intent to do harm

stop making threats

2

: something that threatens

the volcano was a threat to the village

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