threaten
To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
Verb 4 meanings
To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
“He threatened me with a knife.”
To menace, or be dangerous.
“The rocks threatened the ship's survival.”
To portend, or give a warning of.
“The black clouds threatened heavy rain.”
To call into question the validity of (a belief, idea, or viewpoint); to challenge.
“The new information threatened our original hypothesis.”
Etymology
From Middle English thretenen, from Old English þrēatnian (“to urge, force, compel”), equivalent to threat + -en.
Similar and opposite words
THREATEN at a glance
THREATEN has 8 letters and scores 11 points in Scrabble (T 1 + H 4 + R 1 + E 1 + A 1 + T 1 + E 1 + N 1) and 11 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #7,740 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with threaten
All rhymes- OFTEN8
- WRITTEN10
- LISTEN6
- GOTTEN7
- FORGOTTEN13
- BEATEN8
- EATEN5
- ROTTEN6
- KINDERGARTEN18
- KITTEN10
- GLUTEN7
- TIGHTEN11
One letter away
- THREATED12
- THREADEN12
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