threatening
v.v. expressing a plan to hurt someone or cause problems if you do not get what you want. It describes someone or something that makes you feel like you are in danger.
v. expressing or containing a threat of harm, violence, or misfortune. Often used to describe non-verbal cues such as gestures, tones of voice, or environmental conditions.
He received a threatening letter from an unknown person.
The dark, heavy clouds looked threatening as the hikers reached the exposed mountain ridge.
Witnesses described the suspect's behavior as increasingly threatening, noting that his aggressive posture and low, growling tone made everyone in the room feel physically unsafe.
From Middle English thretenyng, þreteninde, equivalent to threaten + -ing.
From Middle English thretenyng, thretnynge, þretnynge, equivalent to threaten + -ing.
Typically functions as an attributive adjective before a noun, though it can follow linking verbs like 'seem' or 'look'.