Definition of threaten
Etymology
Pronunciation
Verb
to 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.
He threatened me with a knife.
- To menace, or be dangerous.
The rocks threatened the ship's survival.
To portend, or give a warning.
The black clouds threatened heavy rain.
Usage notes
- This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive.
References:
- Wiktionary. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
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