threat
gb/θɹˈɛt/ us/θɹˈɛt/
B1
Anglais
~ 1500
Sens
0 sens
Nom
B1
entity
1
Statement or action promising harm
Words or actions that say or show someone will hurt you or cause problems.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] makes a threat
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'threat' with 'treat' because they sound similar, but they have very different meanings.
Synonymes
menace (Slightly more formal and can also refer to a dangerous person or thing.)
Antonymes
assurance (Expresses a promise of safety or security instead of harm.)
Collocations
make a threat
|issue a threat
|threat of violence
|death threat
|empty threat
Thèmes
crime
|safety
|emotions
|law
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The witness received a death threat after testifying in court.
- The manager's threat to fire the staff caused tension in the office.
- He made a threat to damage the car if she didn’t pay him.
- The teacher took the student's threat seriously and contacted the principal.
- They ignored his threats, thinking he was bluffing.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She got a threat from a stranger.
- He made a threat to hurt me.
- The threat scared the children.
- The police are looking into the threat.
Nom
B1
entity
2
Person or thing that may cause harm
A person or thing that can hurt you or cause problems.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] is a threat to [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse 'threat' (potential harm) with 'risk' (chance of harm), though they overlap in meaning.
Synonymes
danger (General term for something that can cause harm, less formal in some contexts.)
Antonymes
protection (Something that keeps people or things safe from harm.)
Collocations
pose a threat
|serious threat
|security threat
|real threat
|threat to national security
Thèmes
safety
|environment
|politics
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Climate change is a serious threat to biodiversity.
- The virus remains a significant health threat.
- He sees her as a threat to his position at work.
- The army is prepared for any external threats.
- Illegal fishing is a major threat to marine life.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Fire is a threat to the forest.
- Pollution is a big threat to animals.
- That man is a threat to the children.
- The storm is a threat to the town.
Nom
B2
state
3
Possibility of harm or loss
The chance that something bad will happen.
Schéma d’usage :
threat of [something negative]
Synonymes
risk (Focuses more on probability than on intent.)
Antonymes
opportunity (A set of circumstances that makes something good possible instead of bad.)
Collocations
under threat
|the threat of war
|constant threat
|looming threat
Thèmes
business
|politics
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The company faces the threat of bankruptcy.
- Farmers live with the constant threat of drought.
- There is a growing threat of economic recession.
- The peace talks reduced the threat of conflict.
- Wildlife habitats are under threat from development.
Exemples pédagogiques
- There is a threat of rain today.
- The country is under the threat of war.
- We live with the threat of floods every year.
- The team is facing the threat of losing the game.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
threat
API
GB/θɹˈɛt/
US/θɹˈɛt/
Syllabes et accentuation
threat (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (threat)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: threat
- Plural: threat, threats
Famille de mots
Forms
threats
noun
Core family
threaten
verb B1
threatening
adjective
Related words
threateningly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unthreatening
adjective
Expressions
death threat
1/dˈɛθ θɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
Statement threatening to kill someone
A warning that someone will be killed if they do not do what is wanted.
Exemples
- The journalist received several death threats after publishing the article.
- She reported the death threat to the police immediately.
empty threat
1/ˈɛmpti θɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
Promise of harm without intent/action
A warning that someone will do something bad, but they will not really do it.
Exemples
- His promise to quit was just an empty threat.
- They knew it was an empty threat and ignored it.
make a threat
1/mˈeɪk ə θɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
State intention to cause harm
To say you will hurt someone or cause problems for them.
Exemples
- He made a threat against the company director.
- She was arrested after making threats online.
under threat
1/ˈʌndɚ θɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
In danger of harm or loss
In danger of being harmed or destroyed.
Exemples
- Several species are under threat due to deforestation.
- His job is under threat after the merger.
pose a threat
1/pˈoʊz ə θɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
Create danger or risk
To cause danger or risk to someone or something.
Exemples
- Rising sea levels pose a threat to island nations.
- The virus poses a serious threat to public health.
pose a threat
2/pˈoʊz ə θɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
Create risk of harm or loss
To be dangerous or cause possible harm.
Exemples
- These chemicals pose a serious threat to human health.
- Rising sea levels pose a threat to coastal cities.