threatening

[thret-n-ing] / ˈθrɛt n ɪŋ /

ADJECTIVE

menacing, ominous

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aggressive alarming cautionary dangerous dire sinister ugly

STRONG

bullying close impending looming lowering near overhanging portending scowling terrorizing warning

WEAK

apocalyptic at hand baleful baneful comminatory fateful forthcoming grim ill-boding imminent impendent inauspicious intimidatory loury lowery minacious minatory portentous unlucky unpropitious unsafe upcoming

Antonyms

STRONGEST

good kind nice safe

STRONG

away distant far remote

WEAK

pleasant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Experts are increasingly warning of a "China shock 2.0", with a glut of inexpensive goods made in the Asian powerhouse threatening manufacturers around the world as trade deficits widen.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

It was also threatening to split them apart.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

Haiti will be more physical, more athletic, more pacy and more threatening, but Scotland will have gained a lot of belief.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

The Reserve Bank of India met against a backdrop of sharp rupee depreciation and acute economic risks, as the Iran crisis drives up energy prices, threatening to stoke inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Which was crazy, because he was the one who’d gotten the threatening letters.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Vocabulary lists containing threatening

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