Pronunciation: /ˈθrɛtənd/
verb to communicate an intention to inflict harm or loss on someone or something
A1 The dog barked at the stranger and threatened to bite.
A2 She felt threatened by the dark alley and quickly walked away.
B1 The company threatened to cut salaries if the employees did not meet their targets.
B2 The criminal threatened to harm the witness if they testified 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.
adjective feeling at risk or in danger
A1 The small dog felt threatened by the big cat.
A2 The dark clouds threatened to ruin our picnic.
B1 The company's financial stability is threatened by the current economic crisis.
B2 The politician was threatened with legal action if he did not retract his statement.
C1 The endangered species is threatened by habitat destruction and poaching.
C2 The terrorist group threatened to carry out a series of attacks if their demands were not met.
formal The company threatened legal action against the competitor for patent infringement.
informal He threatened to tell the teacher about our prank if we didn't give him his lunch money.
slang The bully threatened to beat him up if he didn't hand over his lunch money.
figurative The dark clouds threatened rain as we hurried to finish our picnic.
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threatening