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

By tightening demonstration policies, university administrators contributed to a discourse that has framed the pro-Palestinian protest as an existential threat to the well-being and safety of society at large and have, in effect, played into the hands of the current administration. —Bastiaan Vanacker, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025

Big Tech companies – including Google, Meta and X – have used their economic and political influence to lobby against tighter regulation, often framing such policies as a threat to free expression. —Camille Grenier, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2025

There's something about Chris Keller that doesn't actually seem like a threat. —Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 21 Mar. 2025

The threat could be real or imagined, physical or psychological. —Brittany Dube, Health, 21 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