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threatening

English · Thesaurus

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threatening¹

  • /ˈθɹɛtə.nɪŋ/
  • /ˈθɹɛt.nɪŋ/
  • /ˈθɹɛt.n̩.ɪŋ/
  • /ˈθɹɛʔ.n̩.ɪŋ/

Where it comes from

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

verb threatning

  1. gerund, participle, present present participle and gerund of threaten

adjective more threatening · most threatening · threatning

  1. Presenting a threat, posing a likely risk of harm. Never turn your back to someone who is displaying threatening behavior.
  2. Making threats, making statements about a willingness to cause harm.

Similar: minacious, menacing, baleful, threatensome, threatful, ominous, forbidding

threatening²

  • /ˈθɹɛtə.nɪŋ/
  • /ˈθɹɛt.nɪŋ/
  • /ˈθɹɛt.n̩.ɪŋ/
  • /ˈθɹɛʔ.n̩.ɪŋ/

Where it comes from

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

noun threatenings · threatning

  1. countable, uncountable An act of threatening; a threat. And nowe lorde beholde their threatenyngꝭ / and graunte vnto thy ſervauntꝭ wyth all confydence to ſpeake thy worde.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: minatory, menacing, minacious, alarming, sullen, sinister, ugly, lowering, forbidding, heavy, baleful, ominous, cloudy, intimidating, threat, menace

adjective

Similar: minacious, menacing, baleful, threatensome, threatful, ominous, forbidding

Translations

Every language

adj presenting a threat

中文威脅的 /威胁的 wēixié de
Portuguêsameaçador
Françaismenaçant
Deutschdrohend
Ελληνικάαπειλητικός apeilitikós
Românăamenințător
Русскийугрожа́ющий ugrožájuščij

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MLA

"threatening." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/threatening. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

threatening. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/threatening

Chicago

"threatening." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/threatening.

BibTeX
@misc{threatening_2026,
  title = {threatening},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/threatening},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}