threaten

pronunciation

How to pronounce threaten in British English: UK [ˈθretn]word uk audio image

How to pronounce threaten in American English: US [ˈθretn] word us audio image

  • Verb:
    pose a threat to; present a danger to
    to utter intentions of injury or punishment against:"He threatened me when I tried to call the police"
    to be a menacing indication of something:"The clouds threaten rain"

Word Origin

threaten (v.)
late 13c., "attempt to influence by menacing," from Old English þreatnian "to threaten" (see threat). Related: Threatened. Threatening in the sense of "portending no good" is recorded from 1520s.

Synonym

Example

1. He can even threaten to call the deal off .
2. Writedowns could easily threaten the solvency of many financial institutions .
3. To threaten force means being ready to follow through , which would be a big commitment .
4. Would gay marriage threaten real marriage ?
5. All of these also threaten growth .

more: >How to Use "threaten" with Example Sentences