threat

1 of 2

noun

ˈthret 

1

: an expression of intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage

2

: one that threatens

3

: an indication of something impending

the sky held a threat of rain

threat

2 of 2

verb

threated; threating; threats

archaic

: threaten

Synonyms

Noun

• danger
• hazard
• imminence
• menace
• peril
• pitfall
• risk
• trouble

Examples of threat in a Sentence

Noun

He was willing to use violence and threats to get what he wanted.

She ignored their threats and continued to do what she felt was right.

a country under threat of civil war

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Other company leaders voiced their concerns about the threat of tariffs ahead of Saturday’s order. —Kristian Burt, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2025

The methodology is almost exactly the same, but the warning to all 2.5 billion users of Gmail remains the same: be aware of the threat and don’t let your guard down for even a minute. —Davey Winder, Forbes, 1 Feb. 2025

With the constant threat of deportation hanging over his head, yet unwilling to abandon her search for Kyoko, Ono was faced with an impossible decision. —Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 1 Feb. 2025

Ibarra noted how rights for women and members of the LGBTQ community are under attack while threats are also being unleashed at public media institutions from the Republican party. —Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English thret coercion, threat, from Old English thrēat coercion; akin to Middle High German drōz annoyance, Latin trudere to push, thrust

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing threat

• bomb threat
• counter-threat
• empty threat
• idle threat
• triple threat
• under threat

Kids Definition

threat

noun

ˈthret

1

: an expression of an intent to do harm

stop making threats

2

: something that threatens

the volcano was a threat to the village

3

: an indication of something impending

the sky held a threat of rain

Legal Definition

threat

noun

: an expression of an intention to injure another : menace sense 1

criminal laws against making terroristic threats