[noun] [C] - a suggestion that something unpleasant will happen, esp. if a particular action or order is not followedShe carried out her threat to throw away any clothes that were left on the floor. [+ to infinitive]I'm not taking any notice of his threats - he can't do anything.The threat of jail is a strong deterrent to people reluctant to pay the tax, new figures suggest.Drunken drivers are/pose a (serious/grave/major) threat (= cause a lot of harm) to road users.He says he'll stop supplies getting in but it's just an empty threat (= it will not happen) because there are many other routes.She left the country under threat of arrest if she returned.
THREAT
Meaning of THREAT in English
Cambridge English vocab. Кембриджский английский словарь. 2012