threatening

adjective
UK: /ˈθret.ən.ɪŋ/
US: /ˈθret.ən.ɪŋ/

  1. Expressing a threat of harm or violence.

    1. The dog looked very threatening. [ ] [ ]
    2. His threatening behavior made her feel unsafe walking home alone at night. [ ] [ ]

  2. Likely to cause damage or danger.

    1. The sky looked threatening before the storm. [ ] [ ]
    2. The dark clouds gathering overhead were threatening rain all afternoon. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

alarming intimidating ominous dangerous menacing
threatening verb

  1. Presenting a threat or source of danger.

    1. He was threatening the kids. [ ] [ ]
    2. The man was threatening to call the police if we didn't leave. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "threatening" in English means: Expressing a threat of harm or violence., Likely to cause damage or danger..

The phonetic transcription of "threatening" is /ˈθret.ən.ɪŋ/ in British English and /ˈθret.ən.ɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "threatening": alarming, intimidating, ominous, dangerous, menacing.

Example usage of "threatening": "The dog looked very threatening.". More examples on the page.