Definitions for threaten
ˈθrɛt nthreat·en

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. endanger, jeopardize, jeopardise, menace, threaten, imperil, perilverb

   pose a threat to; present a danger to

   "The pollution is endangering the crops"

2. threatenverb

   to utter intentions of injury or punishment against:"He threatened me when I tried to call the police"

3. threatenverb

   to be a menacing indication of something:"The clouds threaten rain"

   "Danger threatens"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. threatenverb

   To make a threat against someone; to use threats.

   He threatened me with a knife.

2. threatenverb

   To menace, or be dangerous.

   The rocks threatened the ship's survival.

3. threatenverb

   To portend, or give a warning.

   The black clouds threatened heavy rain.

4. Etymology: From þreaten or þreten, from þrēatian.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To Threat, To Threatenverb

   threat is seldom used but in poetry.

   Etymology: þreatian , Saxon:

   1. To menace; to denounce evil.

   Death to be wish’d
   Though threaten’d, which no worse than this can bring. John Milton.

   2. To menace; to terrify, or attempt to terrify, by denouncing evil.

   What threat you me with telling of the king?
   Tell him and spare not. William Shakespeare, Richard III.

   That it spread no further, straitly threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. Acts iv. 18.

   The void profound
   Wide gaping, and with utter loss of being
   Threatens him. John Milton.

   Æneas their assault undaunted did abide,
   And thus to Lausus, loud with friendly threat’ning cry’d. John Dryden, Virgil.

   This day black omens threat the brightest fair,
   That e’er deserv’d a watchful spirit’s care. Alexander Pope.

   3. To menace by action.

   Void of fear,
   He threaten’d with his long protended spear. Dryden.

   The noise increases as the billows roar,
   When rowling from afar they threat the shore. Dryden.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. threaten

   A threat is a communication of intent to inflict harm or loss on another person. Intimidation is a tactic used between conflicting parties to make the other timid or psychologically insecure for coercion or control. The act of intimidation for coercion is considered as a threat. Threatening or threatening behavior (or criminal threatening behavior) is the crime of intentionally or knowingly putting another person in fear of bodily injury. "Threat of harm generally involves a perception of injury...physical or mental damage...act or instance of injury, or a material and detriment or loss to a person."Some of the more common types of threats forbidden by law are those made with an intent to obtain a monetary advantage or to compel a person to act against their will. In most US states, it is an offense to threaten to (1) use a deadly weapon on another person; (2) injure another's person or property; or (3) injure another's reputation.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. threaten

   To threaten means to express an intention to inflict harm, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone, often as a way of coercing or intimidating them. It can also refer to indicating or suggesting the possibility or likelihood of something undesirable or harmful happening in the future.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Threatenverb

   to utter threats against; to menace; to inspire with apprehension; to alarm, or attempt to alarm, as with the promise of something evil or disagreeable; to warn

2. Threatenverb

   to exhibit the appearance of (something evil or unpleasant) as approaching; to indicate as impending; to announce the conditional infliction of; as, to threaten war; to threaten death

3. Threatenverb

   to use threats, or menaces; also, to have a threatening appearance

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. threaten

   Warn someone strongly with the intention of harming them as a means to get something done.

   Don't threaten him so much, he might faint. My boss threatened me that if I dint do as he said, he will spoil my career.

   
   

   Submitted by anonymous on March 3, 2019  

British National Corpus

1. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'threaten' in Verbs Frequency: #306

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. 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How to pronounce threaten?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say threaten in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of threaten in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of threaten in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of threaten in a Sentence

1. Huntington Park Police Department:

   The suspect continued to threaten officers with the butcher knife, resulting in an officer-involved shooting.

2. Saudi Arabia:

   The drone attacks on Saudi oil pumping stations carried out by groups supported by Iran not only threaten the security of the kingdom and the Gulf, but also threaten maritime safety and global oil supplies.

3. Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando:

   We understand and commiserate with our community and visitors about the prolonged closure, but we can not provide safe access to the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii section of the park as long as these very unpredictable dangers threaten the safety of park staff and visitors, unlike lava, which you can see coming and avoid, we can not see or predict earthquakes, nor can we foresee a summit explosion, but both threats continue. HAWAII'S KIM VOWS TO REBUILD FROM VOLCANO WITH HELP OF FEMA, AS SCIENTISTS SAY THE WORST IS YET TO COME Damage to Jaggar Museum overlook following 5.5 magnitude earthquake on June 3, 2018. ( NPS Photo) The summit area in particular has been also struck by several earthquakes that have damaged at least three park buildings, fractured park roads, and snapped water lines, according to the National Park Service. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake rattled the summit area at 3:50 p.m. on June 3, cracking the overlook deck at Jaggar Museum. Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii RANKED AMONG TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS IN US A large plume of ash after an earthquake near the summit of Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii volcano on May 25, 2018. ( NPS Photo) Over the weekend, the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported more than 500 earthquakes in a 24-hour period – the most ever measured by HVO scientists.

4. David Snyder:

   To threaten discipline up to and included firing seems at the very least heavy-handed; it's not like the Social Security or bank account numbers were released.

5. Brad Raffensperger:

   This is not acceptable behavior to threaten the wives, the children, the family of people that work for the government or even the government workers, they didn't sign up for this.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=threaten
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Threaten
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=threaten
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threaten
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/threaten
7. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=threaten