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

As the threat of bird flu mounts—the virus is tearing through farms and mutating in ways that increasingly threaten human health—the country’s response has been woefully inadequate. —Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025

Will Trump threats spark another uprising? Control issues? —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025

Keeping it real, UConn just doesn’t lose these games, and played the way everyone is accustomed to seeing the rest of the way to win 82-54, but the Huskies had to respond to a modest challenge, at least, maybe enough to serve as good experience for the real threats and challenges ahead. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 9 Mar. 2025

The strategy was to pressure Pereira, land effective strikes, keep the threat of a takedown in Pereira's head, and exploit his lack of defensive movement. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 9 Mar. 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

Rhymes for threat

• bet
• brett
• debt
• et
• fret
• get
• jet
• let
• lett
• met
• net
• nett

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