threat

Meaning

Noun

1. An expression of intent to injure or punish another.
2. An indication of potential or imminent danger.
3. A person or object that is regarded as a danger; a menace.

Verb

1. (transitive) To press; urge; compel.
2. (archaic, transitive) To threaten.
3. (intransitive) To use threats; act or speak menacingly; threaten.

Synonyms

menace

intimidation

danger

❗

threaten

threatening

peril

bluster

scourge

terror

hazard

intimidate

spectre

denunciation

risk

horror

host

order

promise

scarecrow

terrorism

terrorize

troop

vow

warning

⚠️

bad omen

fear

😨

alarm

threat of force

blackmail

bugaboo

coercion

command

commandment

commination

condition

duress

foreshadow

frown

harm

hectoring

hiss

Translations

menace

minaccia

amenaza

Bedrohung

Drohung

ameaça

amenaça

bedreiging

dreiging

dreigement

απειλή

Einschüchterung

تهديد

Pronounced as (IPA)

/θɹɛt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: threte

Inherited from Old English: þrēat

Cognate with Middle Low German: drōt

Cognate with Middle High German: drōz

Cognate with Icelandic: þraut

Cognate with Russian: труд

Cognate with Polish: trud

Cognate with Latin: trūdō

Inherited from Middle English: threten

Inherited from Old English: þrēatian

In summary

From Middle English threte, thret, thrat, thræt, threat, from Old English þrēat (“crowd, swarm, troop, army, press; pressure, trouble, calamity, oppression, force, violence, threat”), from Proto-Germanic *þrautaz, closely tied to Proto-Germanic *þrautą (“displeasure, complaint, grievance, labour, toil”), from Proto-Indo-European *trewd- (“to squeeze, push, press”), whence also Middle Low German drōt (“threat, menace, danger”), Middle High German drōz (“annoyance, disgust, horror, terror, fright”), Icelandic þraut (“struggle, labour, distress”), Russian труд (trud, “work, labour”), Polish trud (“hard work”), Latin trūdō (“push”, verb).