Threaten
verb
To express a plan to harm or punish someone or something.
The bully threatened the new kid at school.
Often appears as...
- threaten someone’s life
- threaten with punishment
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
To be likely to cause harm or damage to something or someone.
The heavy rain is threatening to flood the town.
Often appears as...
- threaten disaster
- threaten health
verb
To indicate or suggest something bad or harmful that might happen in the future.
Dark clouds are threatening a storm later today.
Often appears as...
- threaten a crisis
- threaten conflict
verb
To express a plan to harm or punish someone or something.
The bully threatened the new kid at school.
Often appears as...
- threaten someone’s life
- threaten with punishment
Usage tips
Disapproving
verb
To be likely to cause harm or damage to something or someone.
The heavy rain is threatening to flood the town.
Often appears as...
- threaten disaster
- threaten health
verb
To indicate or suggest something bad or harmful that might happen in the future.
Dark clouds are threatening a storm later today.
Often appears as...
- threaten a crisis
- threaten conflict
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Impact
Using 'threaten' can convey strong fear or anxiety in the listener or reader.
He threatened to destroy all my work.
Pro Tip 2/3Implied Power
'Threaten' implies the speaker has some power or ability to carry out the harm.
The gang leader threatened to take over the neighborhood.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Physical
Threats can be non-physical, targeting emotional well-being or reputation.
She threatened to spread rumors about him.
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Impact
Using 'threaten' can convey strong fear or anxiety in the listener or reader.
He threatened to destroy all my work.
Pro Tip 2/3Implied Power
'Threaten' implies the speaker has some power or ability to carry out the harm.
The gang leader threatened to take over the neighborhood.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Physical
Threats can be non-physical, targeting emotional well-being or reputation.
She threatened to spread rumors about him.
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Impact
Using 'threaten' can convey strong fear or anxiety in the listener or reader.
He threatened to destroy all my work.
Pro Tip 2/3Implied Power
'Threaten' implies the speaker has some power or ability to carry out the harm.
The gang leader threatened to take over the neighborhood.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Physical
Threats can be non-physical, targeting emotional well-being or reputation.
She threatened to spread rumors about him.
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Video examples
The science of stage...
Public speaking can threaten it. Before a speech, you fret, "What if people think I'm awful and I'm an idiot?" That fear of being seen as an awful idiot is a threat reaction from a primitive part of your brain that's very hard to control. It's the fight or flight response, a self-protective process seen in a range of animals,
Video examples
Climate Change 101 with...
temperature with massive and permanent ramifications although its consequences can be planet threatening scientists still believe there are things we can do on a personal level to help recycle and reuse things walk or use public transportation to get to work turn off your electronics when you're not using
Video examples
What does it mean to be...
towards people they have recognized as refugees, like the guarantee of a minimum standard of treatment and non-discrimination. The most basic obligation towards refugees is non-refoulement, a principle preventing a nation from sending an individual to a country where their life and freedom are threatened.
Video examples
The psychology of...
like reaching their full potential, or helping make people's lives better. But narcissistic individuals seek power for the status and attention that goes with it. Meanwhile, vulnerable narcissists can be quiet and reserved. They have a strong sense of entitlement, but are easily threatened or slighted.
Video examples
How interpreters juggle...
a less threatening comment. Though the intended meaning was eventually clarified, the initial impact of Khrushchev's apparent words put the world on a path that could have led to nuclear armageddon. So now, given the complexities of language and cultural exchange,
Video examples
Who was Confucius? -...
Confucius informed the duke that genuinely upright fathers and sons protected one another. During his travels, Confucius almost starved, he was briefly imprisoned, and his life was threatened at several points. But he was not bitter.
Video examples
Should “blackness”...
head don't say one word he said sir I put off driving all car while I'm begging in the lab me going every so often I got the gonna smack me upside my head and threatened to kill me I recognized the voice of the gunman is
Video examples
Rethinking infidelity...
today it is often traumatic, because it threatens our sense of self. So my patient Fernando, he's plagued. He goes "I thought I knew my life. I thought I knew who you were, who we were as a couple, who I was.
Video examples
The truth about bats -...
Some people just want to watch the world burn, and bats all over the world are threatened by damage to the places that we call home, including mangrove swamps, old-growth forests, and, of course, bat caves.
Video examples
Sir David Attenborough...
that runs out they will eat the young bee larvae too around the world people are now devoting their lives to saving some of the most threatened sea creatures as here in the caribbean
Video examples
The science of stage...
Public speaking can threaten it. Before a speech, you fret, "What if people think I'm awful and I'm an idiot?" That fear of being seen as an awful idiot is a threat reaction from a primitive part of your brain that's very hard to control. It's the fight or flight response, a self-protective process seen in a range of animals,
Video examples
Climate Change 101 with...
temperature with massive and permanent ramifications although its consequences can be planet threatening scientists still believe there are things we can do on a personal level to help recycle and reuse things walk or use public transportation to get to work turn off your electronics when you're not using
Video examples
What does it mean to be...
towards people they have recognized as refugees, like the guarantee of a minimum standard of treatment and non-discrimination. The most basic obligation towards refugees is non-refoulement, a principle preventing a nation from sending an individual to a country where their life and freedom are threatened.
Video examples
The psychology of...
like reaching their full potential, or helping make people's lives better. But narcissistic individuals seek power for the status and attention that goes with it. Meanwhile, vulnerable narcissists can be quiet and reserved. They have a strong sense of entitlement, but are easily threatened or slighted.
Video examples
How interpreters juggle...
a less threatening comment. Though the intended meaning was eventually clarified, the initial impact of Khrushchev's apparent words put the world on a path that could have led to nuclear armageddon. So now, given the complexities of language and cultural exchange,
Video examples
Who was Confucius? -...
Confucius informed the duke that genuinely upright fathers and sons protected one another. During his travels, Confucius almost starved, he was briefly imprisoned, and his life was threatened at several points. But he was not bitter.
Video examples
Should “blackness”...
head don't say one word he said sir I put off driving all car while I'm begging in the lab me going every so often I got the gonna smack me upside my head and threatened to kill me I recognized the voice of the gunman is
Video examples
Rethinking infidelity...
today it is often traumatic, because it threatens our sense of self. So my patient Fernando, he's plagued. He goes "I thought I knew my life. I thought I knew who you were, who we were as a couple, who I was.
Video examples
The truth about bats -...
Some people just want to watch the world burn, and bats all over the world are threatened by damage to the places that we call home, including mangrove swamps, old-growth forests, and, of course, bat caves.
Video examples
Sir David Attenborough...
that runs out they will eat the young bee larvae too around the world people are now devoting their lives to saving some of the most threatened sea creatures as here in the caribbean
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Gelsey Kirkland
American Dancer
At this stage of my life I would rather try and have some small impact within a company and suffer through those things than make such a big stink that nobody can trust to work with you. It's very important in an environment of a big institution that people don't feel threatened that you're going to expose them in any way.
Quote examples
Audrey Hepburn
British Actress
My first big mission for UNICEF in Ethiopia was just to attract attention, before it was too late, to conditions which threatened the whole country. My role was to inform the world, to make sure that the people of Ethiopia were not forgotten.
Quote examples
Feisal Abdul Rauf
Egyptian Theologian
I have never made a threat. I've never made a threat, never expressed a threat, never - I've never - I would never threaten violence ever, because I am a man of peace, dedicated to peace.
Quote examples
Felicity Jones
English Actress
The actresses I've known support each other very much. If you have a level of confidence in what you're doing, then you don't feel threatened. We all have different things to offer.
Quote examples
Hussein of Jordan
Jordanian Royalty
We believe that peace is not just signed papers, but rather a contract between generations for the building of a more promising and less threatening future.
Quote examples
Hector Bellerin
Spanish Athlete
People should be able to express themselves without feeling threatened. That is true in football, but also in life.
Quote examples
Gina Neely
American Actor
I need a man that's comfortable in his skin and not threatened by a woman with a big personality.
Quote examples
Iris Apfel
American Businesswoman
Being well-dressed is a wonderful thing, but I don't think it should be life threatening.
Quote examples
Victor LaValle
American Author
Lonely women destroy themselves; lonely men threaten the world.
Quote examples
Jack Schlossberg
American Celebrity
Climate change threatens the future of life on this planet.
Quote examples
Gelsey Kirkland
American Dancer
At this stage of my life I would rather try and have some small impact within a company and suffer through those things than make such a big stink that nobody can trust to work with you. It's very important in an environment of a big institution that people don't feel threatened that you're going to expose them in any way.
Quote examples
Audrey Hepburn
British Actress
My first big mission for UNICEF in Ethiopia was just to attract attention, before it was too late, to conditions which threatened the whole country. My role was to inform the world, to make sure that the people of Ethiopia were not forgotten.
Quote examples
Feisal Abdul Rauf
Egyptian Theologian
I have never made a threat. I've never made a threat, never expressed a threat, never - I've never - I would never threaten violence ever, because I am a man of peace, dedicated to peace.
Quote examples
Felicity Jones
English Actress
The actresses I've known support each other very much. If you have a level of confidence in what you're doing, then you don't feel threatened. We all have different things to offer.
Quote examples
Hussein of Jordan
Jordanian Royalty
We believe that peace is not just signed papers, but rather a contract between generations for the building of a more promising and less threatening future.
Quote examples
Hector Bellerin
Spanish Athlete
People should be able to express themselves without feeling threatened. That is true in football, but also in life.
Quote examples
Gina Neely
American Actor
I need a man that's comfortable in his skin and not threatened by a woman with a big personality.
Quote examples
Iris Apfel
American Businesswoman
Being well-dressed is a wonderful thing, but I don't think it should be life threatening.
Quote examples
Victor LaValle
American Author
Lonely women destroy themselves; lonely men threaten the world.
Quote examples
Jack Schlossberg
American Celebrity
Climate change threatens the future of life on this planet.
Example 1 of 10
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