threatening

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈθɹɛtə.nɪŋ/ See IPA manual

Freq #3603

Meanings

1

adj
Likely to cause harm or danger; frightening.

Never turn your back on someone who is behaving in a threatening way.
2

adj
Suggesting that something bad is about to happen.

The threatening sky warned us a storm was coming.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · suggesting that something... ominous

More baleful menacingminaciousthreatensomethreatful

Word family

Derived forms life-threateningnon-threateningnonthreateningthreateninglythreateningnessunthreatening

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

threatening behavior
actions that suggest a risk of harm and make others feel unsafe

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English thretenyng, thretnynge, þretnynge, equivalent to threaten + -ing.

thretenyng Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# threatening

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈθɹɛtə.nɪŋ/
**Frequency rank:** 3603

## Meanings
1. Likely to cause harm or danger; frightening.
2. Suggesting that something bad is about to happen.

## Examples
- Never turn your back on someone who is behaving in a threatening way.
- The threatening sky warned us a storm was coming.

## Synonyms
- baleful
- menacing
- minacious
- threatensome
- threatful

## Derived Forms
- life-threatening
- non-threatening
- nonthreatening
- threateningly
- threateningness
- unthreatening

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: thretenyng

## Etymology
From Middle English thretenyng, thretnynge, þretnynge, equivalent to threaten + -ing.

## AI Etymology
Threatening is from Middle English thretenyng, thretnynge, þretnynge, equivalent to threaten + -ing. The historical line also includes Middle English thretenyng. The surface analysis is Middle English thretenyng, thretnynge, þretnynge, equivalent to threaten + -ing. In present-day use, it can mean likely to cause harm or danger; frightening, or suggesting that something bad is about to happen. Derived formations include life-threatening, non-threatening, nonthreatening, threateningly, threateningness, unthreatening.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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