/ˈθret.ən/
#1276 of 5,000 Core 5000
Translation
To say that you will hurt someone or cause trouble if they do not do what you want.
Word origin
From Old English threatnian, to press or urge, from threat meaning trouble.
- Origin
- Old English
- Root
- threatnian
- English cognates
- threat
Grammar
Verb typeregular (threaten, threatens, threatened)
Examples
.
To "threaten to" do something is to say you will do it to frighten someone.
.
Things can threaten too: the sky looked as if rain would come.
.
The passive form is "be threatened", when the trouble comes to you.
Used in
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Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 26.