threaten
gb/θɹˈɛtən/ us/θɹˈɛtən/
B1
Anglais
~ 1500
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
B1
action
1
State intent to harm
To say or show you will hurt someone or something.
Schéma d’usage :
to threaten [someone/something] with [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'threaten' with 'warn'. 'Warn' is to tell someone about danger to help them, while 'threaten' is to say you will cause the danger.
Synonymes
menace (Slightly more formal or literary term for making a threat.)
Antonymes
reassure (To comfort someone by removing fear or concern.)
Collocations
threaten violence
|threaten legal action
|threaten someone with
|threaten to kill
|threaten sanctions
Thèmes
crime
|conflict
|communication
|emotions
|law
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- He threatened to call the police if they didn’t leave.
- The company threatened legal action over the copyright violation.
- She threatened him with a knife.
- They threatened to cancel the event unless security was improved.
- The government threatened sanctions against the country.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He threatened to hit me.
- The boss threatened to fire her.
- She threatened him with a gun.
- They threatened to stop the project.
- He threatened to tell the teacher.
Verbe
B1
state
2
Indicate possible danger
To seem like it might cause harm soon.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] threatens [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may think this meaning always involves a person speaking. Here it can be about things or situations causing danger without intent.
Synonymes
endanger (Focuses on putting someone or something at risk rather than expressing intent.)
Antonymes
protect (To keep safe from harm or danger.)
Collocations
threaten stability
|threaten survival
|threaten health
|threaten jobs
|threaten peace
Thèmes
nature
|risk
|safety
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Rising sea levels threaten coastal cities.
- The disease threatens the lives of millions.
- His reckless driving threatens everyone on the road.
- The storm threatens to delay the flight.
- Pollution threatens marine ecosystems.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The fire threatens the forest.
- The storm threatens the town.
- The new law threatens small businesses.
- The virus threatens many people.
- The flood threatens the village.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
threaten
API
GB/θɹˈɛtən/
US/θɹˈɛtən/
Syllabes et accentuation
threaten (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (threaten)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: threaten
- 3rd Person Singular: threatens
- Present Participle: threatening
- Past: threatened
Famille de mots
Forms
threatens
verb
threatening
verb
threatened
verb
Core family
threat
noun B1
Related words
threateningly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unthreatening
adjective
Expressions
threaten someone with something
1/θɹˈɛtən sˈʌmwˌʌn wˈɪθ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Say you will harm using something
To say you will use something to hurt someone or cause trouble.
Exemples
- He threatened her with a knife.
- The company threatened them with legal action.
threaten to do something
1/θɹˈɛtən tə dˈu sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Say you will do harm
To say you will do something bad if someone does not do what you want.
Exemples
- She threatened to quit if her pay wasn’t increased.
- They threatened to call the police when he refused to leave.