threaten
verb /ˈθretn/
/ˈθretn/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they threaten | /ˈθretn/ /ˈθretn/ |
| he / she / it threatens | /ˈθretnz/ /ˈθretnz/ |
| past simple threatened | /ˈθretnd/ /ˈθretnd/ |
| past participle threatened | /ˈθretnd/ /ˈθretnd/ |
| -ing form threatening | /ˈθretnɪŋ/ /ˈθretnɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] to say that you will cause trouble, hurt somebody, etc. if you do not get what you want
- threaten somebody/something They broke my windows and threatened me.
- People have even threatened his life.
- I contacted this band and threatened legal action.
- threaten somebody with something The attacker threatened them with a gun.
- He was threatened with dismissal if he continued to turn up late for work.
- threaten something The threatened strike has been called off.
- Students are threatening legal action.
- threaten to do something The hijackers threatened to kill one passenger every hour if their demands were not met.
- The bank is threatening to sue him.
- threaten that… They threatened that passengers would be killed.
- threaten + speech ‘I'm going to kill him!’ she threatened.
Extra Examples- I never felt threatened by him.
- Did he ever say anything to suggest that he felt threatened, or that his life was in danger?
- She had repeatedly threatened to commit suicide.
- The union threatened that unless the new rules were withdrawn, they would call a strike.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- publicly
- personally
- physically
- …
- with
- feel threatened
- [intransitive, transitive] to seem likely to happen or cause something unpleasant
- A storm was threatening.
- When war threatens, people act irrationally.
- threaten to do something This dispute threatens to split the party.
- threaten something The clouds threatened rain.
- threaten something with something Many species are now threatened with extinction.
- The theatre was threatened with closure.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- gravely
- seriously
- severely
- …
- could
- appear to
- seem to
- …
- be threatened with something
- [transitive] threaten something to be a danger to something synonym endanger, at risk
- Pollution is threatening marine life.
- to threaten national security
- They are not currently an endangered or threatened species.
Extra Examples- Our marriage was constantly threatened by his other women.
- Our way of life is gravely threatened.
- She claimed that the conflict was threatening stability in the region.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- gravely
- seriously
- severely
- …
- could
- appear to
- seem to
- …
- be threatened with something
Word OriginOld English thrēatnian ‘urge or induce, especially by using threats’, from thrēat ‘oppression’, of Germanic origin.