threatening
word
/ˈθɹɛtənɪŋ/
THRE-tuh-ning
/θɹˈɛtənɪŋ/
THRE-tuh-ning
Definition
If something is threatening, it makes you feel that harm, danger, or trouble may happen. It can describe a person's behavior, words, expression, or even a situation or weather.
Usage & Nuances
Often used for behavior, tone, gestures, letters, and skies or clouds before a storm. 'Threatening' suggests possible danger, while 'dangerous' usually means real risk already exists. For people, it is stronger than just 'angry' or 'rude'.
Spanish: amenazantePortuguese (BR): ameaçadorPortuguese (PT): ameaçadorChinese (Simplified): 威胁性的 - 吓人的Chinese (Traditional): 威脅性的 - 嚇人的Hindi: धमकी भरा - डरावनाArabic: مُهَدِّد - مُخيفBengali: ভীতিকর - হুমকিসূচকRussian: угрожающийJapanese: 脅迫的な - 威圧的なVietnamese: đe dọa - mang tính đe dọaKorean: 위협적인Turkish: tehditkar - tehdit ediciUrdu: دھمکی آمیزIndonesian: mengancam - penuh ancaman
Example Sentences
His face looked threatening in the dark.
basic
Dark clouds gave the sky a threatening look.
basic
The dog made a threatening sound.
basic
He wasn't yelling, but his tone was still threatening.
natural
She got a threatening message after posting the video.
natural
The guy at the door was acting threatening, so I didn't open it.
natural