threatening 1 of 2

adjective

ˈthret-niŋ How to pronounce threatening (audio)
Definition of threateningnext
1
as in impending
giving signs of immediate occurrence economists warning of a threatening recession

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come a threatening silence followed the loud thump in the adjoining motel room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury threatening rocks lined that narrow stretch of the river through which we would be rafting

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

threatening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of threaten
as in menacing
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on the powerful hurricane continues to threaten the southern coastline

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of threatening
Adjective
Recent fights and threats at Beyer High The football investigation follows other incidents at Beyer High School in recent weeks, including fights that prompted a campus lockdown and a threatening social media post directed at the school. — Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026 The newest prosecution of Comey, because of a supposedly threatening arrangement of seashells on a beach, is equally unlikely to stand up under prevailing law. — David Baldacci, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Verb
According to authorities, Maniscalco used a marker to write the safe combination on the victim's forehead and also marked the victim's chest while threatening further violence. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026 Dolly Parton’s longtime manager moved Thursday to drop a complaint that accused the late singer’s nephew who acted as her head of security with threatening her estate and its employees. — Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for threatening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threatening
  1. impending
  2. ominous
  3. dangerous
  4. menacing
  5. possible
  6. sinister
  7. hazardous
  8. endangering
Adjective
  • Trump himself has been making the strongest possible case for his party’s impending defeat.
    — Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026
  • So, for anyone still unprepared for the impending freezing temperatures, consider following Jennifer Lawrence, Dakota Johnson, and Celine Dion’s lead and adding a personality coat to your winter wardrobe.
    — Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of impending
Adjective
  • The dungeons were ominous, multi-level complexes with layouts both eldritch and natural, no longer limited to square tile arrangements.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Some bore ominous messages that could be read only under ultraviolet light.
    — Ed White, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of ominous
Adjective
  • People talking to an AI in an abusive and cruel way are more likely to be associated with trying to get the AI model to engage in dangerous requests, like trying to get around an AI’s safety guardrails, Campbell added.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Hazing involves requiring new or potential recruits to the military or college fraternities to perform strenuous, humiliating or dangerous tasks.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Verb
  • The total allotments to the three downstream states could be cut by as much as 40% through 2036, menacing their economies and communities.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Carabello has two open cases, including one arrest for gun possession and another for menacing a man with a knife.
    — Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of menacing
Adjective
  • Digital twin technology makes this possible by creating virtual representations of real-world objects, systems, and processes that can be updated with operational data.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The meteorological agency warned people to brace for possible strong quakes in the coming week, especially the next two to three days.
    — Yuri Kageyama, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of possible
Adjective
  • The Democrat’s disposition as a love-thy-trans-neighbor seminarian is a cover for something far more sinister, the argument goes.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The sinister presence torments the family, and when their two-year-old suddenly vanishes, fear spirals into hysteria and paranoia as the family confronts a terrifying force that has turned their connected world against them.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of sinister
Adjective
  • Forecasters said flash flood potential and hazardous coastal conditions across east Central Florida are the main concerns heading into the week.
    — Felix Rodriguez, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Oil, gas and chemical plants are among the most hazardous and most costly places to operate.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of hazardous
Verb
  • Any new map would likely break up the 1st Congressional District Republican stronghold on the Eastern Shore, endangering Maryland's lone Republican in Congress Andy Harris, who has been critical.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Opponents argue the tax will chase billionaires out of the state, endangering the state’s economy and future tax collections.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of endangering

Browse Nearby Words

threatened
threatening
threatens
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Cite this Entry

“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threatening. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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