threaten
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Middle English þreaten or þreten, from Old English þrēatian.
PronunciationEdit
VerbEdit
threaten (third-person singular simple present threatens, present participle threatening, simple past and past participle threatened)
- To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
- 1905, Baroness Emmuska Orczy, chapter 2, in The Hocussing of Cigarette[1]:
- No one, however, would have anything to do with him, as Mr. Keeson's orders in those respects were very strict ; he had often threatened any one of his employés with instant dismissal if he found him in company with one of these touts.
- He threatened me with a knife.
- To menace, or be dangerous.
- The rocks threatened the ship's survival.
- To portend, or give a warning of.
- The black clouds threatened heavy rain.
- (figuratively) To be close to equaling or surpassing (a record, etc.)
- 2000, Lew Freedman, Diamonds in the Rough: Baseball Stories from Alaska, →ISBN, page 69
- The player quickly surmised that things weren't kosher and the suddenly wiser ballplayer threatened the world record for the fifty-yard dash as he sought safety. As Reynolds dived into the van, Dietz and the other players rolled with laughter.
- 2000, Lew Freedman, Diamonds in the Rough: Baseball Stories from Alaska, →ISBN, page 69
Usage notesEdit
- This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
TranslationsEdit
to make a threat against someone; to use threats
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to menace, or be dangerous
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to portend, or give a warning
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.