menacing

adjective

men·​ac·​ing ˈme-nə-siŋ 

: presenting, suggesting, or constituting a menace or threat : threatening

a menacing look

menacing words

[Harold E. Edgerton] … was also one of the first to take photographs of the menacing mushroom cloud emanating from a nuclear blast.

—Benjamin Genocchio

Ransomware is a menacing scam that involves locking businesses out of their computers and demanding payment of a ransom in exchange for the return of company systems and data.

—Roger Williams

The image is chilling: a series of menacing bear traps laid out like footsteps.

—Emily DeNitto

menacingly adverb

A man stepped menacingly from the corner brandishing a long pole …

—Elizabeth George Speare

"If you shout his name I will curse you into oblivion," muttered Tonks menacingly …

—J. K. Rowling

Examples of menacing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Egerton and Bateman are both fantastic in this, and who knew Michael Bluth could be this level of menacing? —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

In the memo obtained by WIRED, DHS displays less confidence in its ability to detect menacing drones. —Dell Cameron, WIRED, 17 Dec. 2024

He was booked into the Hamilton County jail just before 3 a.m. Friday on charges of kidnapping, aggravated menacing and having weapons under disability (illegally having a gun because he is not allowed to carry due to a previous felony conviction). —Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 14 Dec. 2024

Right now, by providing aid to Kyiv, the United States is preventing Russia from directly menacing eastern and central Europe, which would doubtless consume even more U.S. resources. —Elaine McCusker, Foreign Affairs, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English manacyng, from present participle of manacen "to menace entry 2"

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above