menace1 nounmenace2 verb
menacemen‧ace1 /ˈmenɪs/ ●○○ noun 
WORD ORIGINmenace1
Origin:
1300-1400 French, Latin minacia, from minari ‘to threaten’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Her manner suddenly changed from friendliness and warmth to one of faint menace.
- His eyes blazed with menace.
- His voice was soft but his tone and expression were full of menace.
- A menace from the dead girl hung over her father in this hour of triumph.
- Despite all the menace, nobody dies.
- He heard himself chuckling, but the sound was rich with contempt and menace.
- He was the first to identify drugs as the number one menace to domestic security.
- The dailies pictured Azusa Street in tones of amusement or menace.
- They would depart in the spring, to avoid the malarial menace of the later seasons.
- Tuami and his people have escaped from the perceived menace of Neanderthal man, whose humanity they do not recognise.
- You can not build a fair system on that stinking swamp of menace and malice and neglect.
Longman Language Activatorto be likely to be dangerous to people or things
to be likely to harm other people or things: · People who drink and drive are a danger to themselves and to others.· The judge described Thomas as 'a danger to the public'.· Extreme nationalism is the single greatest danger to peace in the modern world.
formal if a situation or the existence of something poses a threat , it is dangerous to people: · Supplies of food were so low that this posed a threat as serious as invasion.pose a threat to: · Chemicals in our drinking water could pose a serious threat to public health.pose no threat: · Scientists feel that present levels of radiation pose no threat.
if an activity or a problem threatens something such as a place, animal, or way of life, it could cause it to no longer exist: · Illegal hunting threatens the survival of the African elephant.· By August, it was clear that the volcano could threaten the whole island.
someone who is a menace behaves in a dangerous way, without thinking about the safety of other people: · Drivers like that are a menace. They shouldn't be allowed on the road.be a menace to: · We consider drug trafficking to be a menace to the security of our nation.
to be likely to kill people, cause accidents etc: · Ice on the road is a major hazard at this time of the year.be a hazard to: · The residents of Hollyhurst Road complained that cars parked there were a hazard to pedestrians.be a fire/health/environmental etc hazard: · Garbage that is left uncollected becomes a serious health hazard.
a situation or object that is likely to cause a fire or to damage people's health: · Litter problems and a high fire risk mean that there is now restricted camping on the route.· Cigarettes are acknowledged as a serious health risk and the main cause of lung cancer.
informal if a building, road, car etc is a death-trap , it is very dangerous to enter or use, for example because it is in very bad condition, or is badly designed: · Fire-safety inspectors described the basement night-club as a death trap.· The ancient bridge was described as a potential death trap for the tourists that flock there.
actions that threaten someone when you try to make someone do what you want by making them feel afraid: · Hoskins used intimidation and violence to get money from local restaurant owners.· The killings are part of a campaign of intimidation against opposition supporters.
a way of behaving or speaking that makes people think that you are threatening them, even though you do not actually say or do anything violent: · His voice was soft but his tone and expression were full of menace.· Her manner suddenly changed from friendliness and warmth to one of faint menace.
British the criminal offence of behaving in a threatening way towards someone - use this in legal contexts: · He was charged with being drunk and disorderly and using threatening behaviour.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
That man’s a menace to society. He should be locked away. the growing menace of oil pollution at sea There was a sense of menace as the sky grew darker. He was charged with demanding money with menaces.
That man’s a menace to society. He should be locked away. the growing menace of oil pollution at sea There was a sense of menace as the sky grew darker. He was charged with demanding money with menaces.PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
1[countable] something or someone that is dangerous SYN threatmenace of- The driver of the Vauxhall had got out of her car and was advancing with menaces.
It’s the only way to deal with the menace of drug dealing.menace to That man’s a menace to society. He should be locked away. the growing menace of oil pollution at sea2[uncountable] a threatening quality, feeling, or way of behaving: There was menace in his voice.air/sense of menace There was a sense of menace as the sky grew darker.3[countable] a person, especially a child, who is annoying or causes trouble SYN nuisance: My little brother’s a real menace.4with menaces British English law if someone asks another person for something with menaces, they use threats of violence to get what they want: He was charged with demanding money with menaces.menace1 nounmenace2 verb
menacemenace2 verb [transitive] formal to threaten: The elephants are still menaced by poachers.