threatening 1 of 2

adjective

ˈthret-niŋ How to pronounce threatening (audio)
Definition of threateningnext
1
as in impending
giving signs of immediate occurrence economists warning of a threatening recession

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come a threatening silence followed the loud thump in the adjoining motel room

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury threatening rocks lined that narrow stretch of the river through which we would be rafting

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

threatening

2 of 2

verb

present participle of threaten
as in menacing
to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on the powerful hurricane continues to threaten the southern coastline

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of threatening
Adjective
The day after the accident, Fleig’s injury was determined to be serious but not life-threatening, the same outlet said. — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Instead, they are designed for environments where replacing a battery is impossible, prohibitively expensive, or life-threatening. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
All those factors are sending bond yields to multi-decade highs, raising the cost of borrowing and threatening to slow economic growth. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 Hot flashes and night sweats are common symptoms of menopause that can become life threatening during extreme heat events and when cooling, hydration and hormone therapy are limited or unavailable. — Jaquelyn Jahn, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for threatening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for threatening
  1. impending
  2. ominous
  3. dangerous
  4. menacing
  5. possible
  6. sinister
  7. hazardous
  8. endangering
Adjective
  • The clanking of cranes slated to descend over the Longwood site also brings the impending divorce of Dana-Farber and its longtime partner, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, one step closer.
    — Marin Wolf — Boston Globe, STAT, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Peak fall color is still potential to be realized, a brilliance whose arrival is impending but unpredictable.
    — Dana Kelley, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of impending
Adjective
  • The film fairly vibrates with ominous tension even in scenes in which seemingly nothing happens.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The horror movie takes place in Vision’s mind-mansion, which Butcherbird has filled with red light, dark shadows, and ominous imagery.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of ominous
Adjective
  • In November 2021, crew members took shelter inside their spacecraft after a Russian anti-satellite weapons test created a dangerous cloud of debris.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • In 2015, Chicago’s public health department identified three cases of invasive meningococcal disease, a highly dangerous pathogen that can kill within hours.
    — Julie Morita, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of dangerous
Verb
  • The total allotments to the three downstream states could be cut by as much as 40% through 2036, menacing their economies and communities.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Carabello has two open cases, including one arrest for gun possession and another for menacing a man with a knife.
    — Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of menacing
Adjective
  • There was palpable excitement, especially after Barringer noted that national Democrats had put the seat on a list of ones to watch for a possible upset.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The embassy said in a statement Monday that partial curfews had been introduced in several French cities, with additional restrictions possible.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of possible
Adjective
  • Feathers McGraw, the sinister penguin villain from the Wallace & Gromit films, also makes a Hitchcockian cameo.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Other examples are more sinister—for instance, the far-right takeover of Croatian Wikipedia, or efforts by corporations to launder their images.
    — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of sinister
Adjective
  • If enough collisions occur, certain orbital regions could become extremely hazardous for future missions.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Today, the vast majority of this hazardous waste remains locked in temporary storage facilities across the globe.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of hazardous
Verb
  • Delron Pickens, of Independence, was charged with one count of vehicle hijacking and one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child in Jackson County Circuit Court on Sunday.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Zin is a Myanmar scholar who was detained in June and accused of endangering China’s national security.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of endangering

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Cite this Entry

“Threatening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/threatening. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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