threat
threat Lexical Profile
threat Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not done.
"The company issued a threat of legal action if the counterfeit products were not removed from the shelves."
A person or thing likely to cause damage, harm, or danger.
"Invasive plant species pose a serious threat to the native biodiversity of the island."
The possibility or likelihood of trouble, danger, or ruin occurring.
"The dark clouds on the horizon brought the threat of a heavy afternoon thunderstorm."
• Rhymes for threat
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'þreat', originally meaning a crowd or troop of people, and by extension the pressure, coercion, or affliction caused by a pressing crowd, derived from a Proto-Germanic root meaning to push or thrust.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.