threaten
verb
threat·en ˈthre-tᵊn 
threatened; threatening ˈthret-niŋ
ˈthre-tᵊn-iŋ
transitive verb
1
: to utter threats against
2
a
: to give signs or warning of : portend
the clouds threatened rain
b
: to hang over dangerously : menace
famine threatens the city
3
: to announce as intended or possible
the workers threatened a strike
4
: to cause to feel insecure or anxious
felt threatened by his brother's success
intransitive verb
1
: to utter threats
2
: to portend evil
threatener
ˈthret-nər
noun ˈthre-tᵊn-ər
Synonyms
- hang (over)
- hover (over)
- impend (over)
- menace
- overhang
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The mugger threatened him with a gun. She threatened to quit if they didn't give her a raise, but no one believed her. Civil war has been threatening the country for years. a marriage threatened by financial problems Overfishing threatens the survival of certain fish species. The latest news threatens trouble for the economy. See More
Recent Examples on the Web But receding waters threaten a new challenge in the form of waterborne infectious diseases, Sharif said. 
Reuters, NBC News, 7 Sep. 2022 Bartell says the drawdown will threaten his field of shoulder-high wild rye that taps into the groundwater and sustains his cattle through the late summer and fall. Daniel Moore, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2022 Disturbing social media images can also reinforce our levels of despair, which can ultimately threaten both mental and physical health, Galligher added. William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2022 And aged batteries are even more prone to accidents and fires, as dendrites grow and threaten to bridge the anode and cathode in a battery. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 1 Sep. 2022 To be sure, employers can take a more antagonistic approach and threaten to terminate employees who fail to comply. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2022 Sometimes holes hide under ruffles of kale or the shade of tart-cherry trees, or threaten to swallow Brad’s tractor. Yasmin Tayag, The New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2022 Residents in Jackson, Mississippi, are once again packing up their belongings to evacuate as record-setting rain and rising river waters threaten to seep into their homes today. Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 29 Aug. 2022 Residents in Jackson are being urged to evacuate as dangerously high rivers threaten to flood streets and homes. CBS News, 29 Aug. 2022 See More
Reuters, NBC News, 7 Sep. 2022 Bartell says the drawdown will threaten his field of shoulder-high wild rye that taps into the groundwater and sustains his cattle through the late summer and fall. Daniel Moore, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2022 Disturbing social media images can also reinforce our levels of despair, which can ultimately threaten both mental and physical health, Galligher added. William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2022 And aged batteries are even more prone to accidents and fires, as dendrites grow and threaten to bridge the anode and cathode in a battery. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 1 Sep. 2022 To be sure, employers can take a more antagonistic approach and threaten to terminate employees who fail to comply. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2022 Sometimes holes hide under ruffles of kale or the shade of tart-cherry trees, or threaten to swallow Brad’s tractor. Yasmin Tayag, The New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2022 Residents in Jackson, Mississippi, are once again packing up their belongings to evacuate as record-setting rain and rising river waters threaten to seep into their homes today. Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 29 Aug. 2022 Residents in Jackson are being urged to evacuate as dangerously high rivers threaten to flood streets and homes. CBS News, 29 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Kids Definition
threaten
verb
threat·en ˈthre-tᵊn
threatened; threatening
1
: to show an intention to do harm or something unwanted
He threatened to quit.
2
: to give warning of by an indication
The clouds threatened rain.
threaten
verb
as in to endanger
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on the powerful hurricane continues to threaten the southern coastline Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- endanger
- menace
- jeopardize
- imperil
- peril
- impend (over)
- hang (over)
- hover (over)
- hazard
- overhang