Threaten (Verb)
Meaning 1
To utter intentions of injury or punishment against; "He threatened me when I tried to call the police".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The angry driver threatened to sue the other motorist for damages after the accident.
- She threatened to leave him if he didn't stop drinking and come home on time.
- The teacher threatened to fail the student if he didn't turn in his homework on time.
- The company threatened to lay off hundreds of employees if the union didn't agree to the new contract.
- The bully threatened to beat up the smaller kid if he didn't give him his lunch money.
Meaning 2
Pose a threat to; present a danger to; "The pollution is endangering the crops".
Classification
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 3
To be a menacing indication of something; "The clouds threaten rain"; "Danger threatens".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The storm clouds threaten severe weather for the rest of the day.
- The rise in unemployment threatens the stability of the economy.
- The approaching deadline threatens to disrupt our plans.
- The politician's popularity threatens to overshadow her opponent's campaign.
- The rapid spread of the disease threatens to become a global pandemic.