threaten
High (B1+)Neutral to Formal. Common in news, legal, political, and everyday conflict/danger contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To express an intention to cause harm, pain, or trouble to someone/something, or to indicate that something undesirable is likely to happen.
To be a sign or warning of (something bad or undesirable); to put at risk.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word implies an imbalance of power (the one threatening has perceived power). Can involve direct verbal intent or be an impersonal prediction of danger.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Slight preference for 'threaten to' in both. 'Threaten with' is equally common.
Connotations
Equally strong in both varieties.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in corpora.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Noun Phrase] threaten [Noun Phrase][Noun Phrase] threaten to [Verb][Noun Phrase] threaten [Noun Phrase] with [Noun Phrase]It threatens to [Verb].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A storm is threatening.”
- “threaten someone's peace of mind”
- “threaten to boil over (situation)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"The merger threatens to create a monopoly."
Academic
"Climate change threatens biodiversity in coastal regions."
Everyday
"He threatened to call the police if the noise didn't stop."
Technical
"The software bug threatens data integrity."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The council threatened to close the library due to budget cuts.
- Dark clouds threatened rain, so we took our umbrellas.
- He was threatened with dismissal if his performance didn't improve.
American English
- The lawsuit threatens to bankrupt the small company.
- Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities.
- She threatened to sue the newspaper for libel.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Don't threaten me!
- It threatens to rain.
- The teacher threatened to give us extra homework.
- Pollution threatens the health of the river.
- The opposition leader was threatened with violence.
- Economic sanctions threaten to destabilize the region.
- His authoritarian tendencies threaten to undermine democratic institutions.
- The invasive species threatens the ecological balance of the entire wetland.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of THREE men with TEN (threaten) guns – they are threatening you.
Conceptual Metaphor
DANGER IS AN ADVERSARY (It threatens us). A PROBLEM IS A PHYSICAL THREAT (Inflation threatens recovery).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'to threaten' as 'to promise' (обещать). Russian 'угрожать' is direct. Beware of false friend 'pretend' (притворяться).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: *She threatened calling the manager. Correct: She threatened to call the manager.
- Incorrect: *He threatened me by a knife. Correct: He threatened me with a knife.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'threaten' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A person can intentionally threaten someone. However, a situation (e.g., a storm, a disease) can 'threaten' without intent, meaning it poses a danger.
Both involve a declaration of future action, but 'threaten' is for negative, harmful, or undesirable actions, while 'promise' is for positive or desired ones.
Yes. You can use the pattern 'threaten someone with something' (He threatened me with a fine) or 'Noun threatens Noun' (The hurricane threatens the coastline).
The main noun form is 'threat'. The gerund 'threatening' can also function as a noun (e.g., 'His threatening was taken seriously').
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