Threaten

Pronunciation: /ˈθrɛtən/

Definitions of threaten

verb to communicate an intention to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something

Example Sentences

A1 The storm clouds threaten to ruin our picnic.

A2 The bully threatened to hurt the smaller kids if they didn't give him their lunch money.

B1 The company threatened to cut employees' salaries if they didn't meet their sales targets.

B2 The criminal threatened to harm the witness if they testified against him in court.

C1 The dictator threatened to use military force against neighboring countries.

C2 The hacker threatened to release sensitive information unless a ransom was paid.

Examples of threaten in a Sentence

formal The company issued a formal warning to the employee who was found to threaten their colleagues.

informal I heard that someone is threatening to quit if they don't get a raise soon.

slang Don't let that bully threaten you like that, stand up for yourself!

figurative The dark clouds threaten to ruin our outdoor picnic plans.

Grammatical Forms of threaten

• past tense: threatened
• plural: threatens
• comparative: more threatening
• superlative: most threatening
• present tense: threaten
• future tense: will threaten
• perfect tense: have threatened
• continuous tense: is threatening
• singular: threatens
• positive degree: threaten
• infinitive: to threaten
• gerund: threatening
• participle: threatening

Origin and Evolution of threaten

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'threaten' originated from the Middle English word 'threten' which came from the Old English word 'threotian' meaning to show hostility or offer violence.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'threaten' has evolved to encompass a broader range of actions or statements that imply harm or danger, beyond just physical violence.