# threaten

/ˈθɹɛtən/ (US) · /θɹˈɛtən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/threaten
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to warn of harm

verb · CEFR B2

to tell someone you will hurt them or cause problems if they do not do what you want.

For teachers: to express an intention to inflict punishment, injury, or negative consequences on someone, often to coerce their behaviour.

- The manager threatened to fire anyone who arrived late for the third time.
- The hijackers threatened to harm the hostages unless their demands for safe passage and fuel were met immediately.

Usage: Often followed by a 'to' infinitive or a 'that' clause.

### 2. to be a danger

verb · CEFR B2

to be a likely danger to something or someone.

For teachers: to pose a danger or a source of harm to the stability or existence of something.

- Pollution from the factory is starting to threaten the fish in the river.
- The sudden rise in interest rates began to threaten the viability of small businesses that relied on short-term credit lines.

### 3. to seem likely to happen

verb · CEFR B2

to be a sign that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen soon.

For teachers: to give a sign or warning of an impending unpleasant event.

- Dark clouds were gathering and a storm threatened to break at any moment.
- Although the morning was clear, the heavy humidity and shifting winds threatened a severe thunderstorm by late afternoon.

### 4. to challenge a record or belief

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic

to come close to beating a record or to make people doubt an idea.

For teachers: to challenge the validity of a concept or to approach the threshold of surpassing a standing record.

- The young athlete's speed began to threaten the world record set ten years ago.
- New archaeological evidence has emerged that may threaten the long-held theory regarding the migration patterns of early humans.

## Examples

- The dark clouds threaten to ruin our picnic.
- The hijackers began to threaten the passengers when their demands were not met by the authorities.
- Rising sea levels continue to threaten coastal communities, forcing local governments to invest heavily in expensive flood prevention infrastructure and long-term relocation strategies.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.