threat
n.-
1 intent to harm (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea statement or message saying that someone will hurt you or punish you if you do not do what they want.
a declaration of an intention or determination to inflict punishment, injury, or loss on someone in retaliation for or conditional upon some action or course.
ExampleThe company received a serious threat from a group of hackers yesterday.
ExampleThe anonymous caller issued a direct threat against the witness, warning of severe consequences if she chose to testify in court.
PitfallHe made a threat for me.He made a threat against me.When a threat is directed at a person, use the preposition 'against'.
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2 potential danger (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatethe possibility that something very bad or dangerous will happen in the future.
the state of being at risk; an indication of imminent danger or an undesirable future event.
ExampleRising sea levels are a major threat to many coastal cities.
ExampleEconomists warned that the sudden increase in oil prices posed a significant threat to the stability of the global recovery.
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3 a dangerous person or thing (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea person or thing that is likely to cause damage or trouble.
a person, object, or force regarded as a source of danger or a menace.
ExampleThe escaped tiger was seen as a threat to the local village.
ExampleThe intelligence agency identified the rogue software as a persistent threat to national infrastructure security.
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).
From Middle English threten, from Old English þrēatian (“to press, oppress, repress, correct, threaten”). Akin to Middle Dutch drōten (“to threaten”).