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| threat·en [ thrétt'n ] (past and past participle threat·ened, present participle threat·en·ing, 3rd person present singular threat·ens) |
verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb express hostile intention toward somebody: to express an intention to do something that will cause harm, trouble, or inconvenience to somebody else unless that person does what is demanded
  They threatened us with legal action.
She threatened to tell my wife.
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2. transitive verb express threat to somebody: to express or indicate an intention to harm or kill somebody
He threatened me with a knife.
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3. transitive and intransitive verb be threat to something: to be a source of actual or potential harm to something
an injury that could threaten his career
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4. transitive and intransitive verb signify something bad happening: to signify that something bad is going to happen, especially that bad weather is going to arrive
Dark clouds threatened rain.
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5. intransitive verb suggest unwelcome consequences: to seem likely to result in something unpleasant
The dispute threatened to escalate into all-out war.
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| [ Old English þrēatnian "press in on" < þrēat (see threat)] |
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| threat·en·er noun |
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