threaten

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Thesaurus

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verb

American English pronunciation: threaten

/ˈθret(ə)n/

present tense
I/you/we/they	threaten
he/she/it	threatens
present participle	threatening
past tense	threatened
past participle	threatened

1
[transitive] to tell someone that you might or you will cause them harm, especially in order to make them do something
He's been threatening me for months.
threaten to do something:
The terrorists are threatening to kill the hostages.
threaten someone with something:
One man has been threatened with legal action.
threaten someone's life (=say that you will kill them):
My life has been threatened on several occasions.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of threaten
1. a.
  to say that you might or you will do something bad or harmful, especially in order to make someone do something
  NATO has threatened air strikes against the capital.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of threaten
2
[transitive] to be likely to harm or destroy something
the cancer that now threatens his life
Their actions threaten the stability and security of the region.
Many workers feel that their jobs are threatened.
threaten to do something:
Nuclear testing threatens to destroy our environment.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of threaten
3
[intransitive] if something bad or unpleasant threatens, it is likely to happen or to affect you
Rain was threatening, and it had turned cold.
The wildebeest return to the herd when danger threatens.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of threaten

phrases

be threatened with something
to be likely to be affected by something bad
Nearly 1,000 of the world's bird species are threatened with extinction.
Even the local school was threatened with closure.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of threaten
threaten someone with a knife/gun etc.
to say or show that you will hurt someone with a knife/gun etc.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of threaten
threaten to do something
to be likely to do something, especially something bad or unpleasant
The dam threatened to break at any moment.
Tensions are threatening to erupt into full-scale confrontation.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of threaten

This is the American English definition of threaten. View British English definition of threaten.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

View the pronunciation for threaten.

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