English Meaning & Definitions
To state one's intention to take hostile action against someone in retribution for something done or not done.
- “The kidnapper threatened to harm the hostages if his demands were not met.”
- “He threatened to quit his job if he didn't receive a raise.”
To be a source of danger or harm to something or someone.
- “Rising sea levels threaten the existence of many coastal communities.”
- “The dark clouds threatened a severe thunderstorm later in the afternoon.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “threaten”.
Derived from the Old English 'threatnian', meaning 'to urge, press, or afflict', which stems from the Proto-Germanic '*thrautjaną'. It is related to the Old English 'threat', meaning 'a crowd, troop, or oppression', suggesting the historical sense of being 'pressed' or 'crowded' by an external force.
Think of a 'threat' that is 'en-forced' upon you.
Frequently Asked Questions About “threaten”
1. What is the meaning of “threaten” in English?
In English, threaten (verb) is defined as: “To state one's intention to take hostile action against someone in retribution for something done or not done.”.
2. How do you use “threaten” in a sentence?
“The kidnapper threatened to harm the hostages if his demands were not met.”
3. What are English synonyms of “threaten”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “threaten”?
Derived from the Old English 'threatnian', meaning 'to urge, press, or afflict', which stems from the Proto-Germanic '*thrautjaną'. It is related to the Old English 'threat', meaning 'a crowd, troop, or oppression', suggesting the historical sense of being 'pressed' or 'crowded' by an external force.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.