INDEX:
1. to threaten someone
2. to threaten someone in order to get money from them
3. behaving in a threatening way
4. something you say or write in order to threaten someone
5. actions that threaten someone
RELATED WORDS
likely to harm someone : ↑ DANGEROUS
see also
↑ FORCE SB TO DO STH
↑ VIOLENT
↑ ATTACK
↑ WARN
↑ FRIGHTENED/FRIGHTENING
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1. to threaten someone
▷ threaten /ˈθretn/ [transitive verb]
to tell someone that you will hurt them or cause serious problems for them if they do not do what you want :
▪ Then he started threatening me and saying that my family might get hurt.
threaten to do something
▪ When they found out he was an American, the soldiers threatened to kill him.
▪ Every time we have a quarrel, she threatens to leave me.
threaten somebody with a knife/gun etc
▪ After threatening the manager with a knife, he stole £300 and ran off.
threaten somebody with violence/jail/legal action etc
say you will hurt someone, put them in prison etc
▪ I was threatened with jail if I published the story.
▷ intimidate /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt, ɪnˈtɪmədeɪt/ [transitive verb]
to try to make someone do what you want by making them feel afraid :
▪ He’s being kept in jail until the trial so that he can’t intimidate any of the witnesses.
▪ The boss is quite tough, but don’t let him intimidate you.
intimidate somebody into doing something
▪ Some workers are saying that they were intimidated into accepting the pay cuts, with threats of job losses.
intimidating [adjective]
▪ He found the interviewers’ manner aggressive and intimidating.
▷ warn somebody off /ˌwɔːʳn somebody ˈɒf/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to try to make someone stay away from somewhere or stop doing something by warning or threatening them :
▪ Journalists trying to investigate the scandal were warned off by the FBI.
warn somebody off something
▪ The old man warned them off his land.
warn somebody off doing something
▪ Joanna’s brothers had warned him off seeing her again.
▷ hold somebody to ransom /ˌhəʊld somebody tə ˈræns ə m/ [verb phrase] British
to force a group, organization, or government to give you what you want by threatening to cause political or financial difficulties if they do not :
▪ What gives cheaper fuel campaigners the right to hold the country to ransom?
▪ The president said that the company would not be held to ransom by strikes.
▷ make/issue threats /ˌmeɪk, ˌɪʃuː ˈθrets/ [verb phrase]
to repeatedly threaten to harm someone :
▪ He wanted more money and over the next few weeks made further threats.
make/issue threats about
▪ It’s a waste of time issuing vague threats about imposing sanctions -- we should send in the army.
make/issue threats against
▪ Threats have been made against the judge who is investigating the case.
▷ get at/get to/nobble /ˈget æt, ˈget tuː , ˈnɒb ə lǁˈnɑː-/ [transitive phrasal verb transitive/phrasal verb transitive/verb usually in passive] informal
to threaten witnesses, judges, or other people involved in a court case in order to influence the court’s decision :
▪ The trial had to be abandoned when it was discovered that jury members had been got at by the Mafia.
▪ He didn’t like the idea that he had been nobbled, especially by a woman.
▪ When the police questioned Davis, it was clear someone else had gotten to him first.
▷ under duress /ˌʌndəʳ djʊˈresǁ-dʊ-/ [adverb] formal
achieved by using unfair threats to force someone to admit something or give something to someone :
▪ The confession had been obtained under duress, and therefore could not be allowed as evidence.
▪ In her defence, the accused said that she had been acting under duress when she took the money.
2. to threaten someone in order to get money from them
▷ blackmail /ˈblækmeɪl/ [transitive verb]
to force someone to give you money or do what you want, by threatening to tell people about something that they want to keep secret :
▪ You cannot blackmail a man who has nothing to hide.
▪ The priest was being blackmailed by a woman who said he was the father of her child.
blackmail somebody into (doing) something
▪ She had tried to use the photographs to blackmail him into marrying her.
▪ We will not be blackmailed into silence.
blackmail [uncountable noun]
▪ Bates got a 5-year jail sentence for blackmail.
▪ ‘If you don’t give me the money, I’m going to tell your wife.’ ‘This is blackmail!’
▷ extort /ɪkˈstɔːʳt/ [transitive verb]
to get money from someone by threatening them :
▪ He sought to extort money by threatening to reveal secrets about his boss’s private life.
extort something from somebody
▪ For years the gang extorted money from local storekeepers.
extortion /ɪkˈstɔːʳʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
the crime of extorting money :
▪ The defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion.
3. behaving in a threatening way
▷ threatening /ˈθretnɪŋ/ [adjective]
threatening words or behaviour are intended to make someone feel afraid, so that they do what you want :
▪ ‘You listen to me!’ he said in a threatening voice.
▪ He was arrested for threatening behaviour and using abusive language.
threatening letter/phone call
▪ Before the attack I’d received several threatening phone calls.
▷ menacing /ˈmenɪsɪŋ, ˈmenəsɪŋ/ [adjective]
making you feel frightened, especially in a quiet way and even though nothing violent is actually said or done :
▪ One of the guards gave a low, menacing laugh.
▪ There was something strange and rather menacing about the way she spoke.
menacingly [adverb]
▪ The teacher towered menacingly above him.
4. something you say or write in order to threaten someone
▷ threat /θret/ [countable noun]
when you tell someone that you will hurt them or cause serious problems for them if they do not do what you want :
▪ I’m prepared to listen to him, but I’m not going to respond to threats.
make threats
▪ He denied making threats to kill her.
receive a threat
▪ Immigrant families in the area have received threats from right-wing extremist groups.
death threat
when someone threatens to kill you
▪ She claims she received anonymous death threats after she gave evidence in the trial.
carry out a threat
do what you threatened to do
▪ He showed no sign of carrying out his threat of making them pay.
▷ ultimatum /ˌʌltɪˈmeɪtəm, ˌʌltəˈmeɪtəm/ [countable noun]
a final, often official, warning that unless someone does something you will punish or attack them :
give somebody an ultimatum
▪ She’s ignored all my previous warnings about being late for work, so I’ve decided to give her an ultimatum.
issue an ultimatum
▪ The hijackers have issued an ultimatum -- either the government releases the prisoners or the plane will be blown up.
5. actions that threaten someone
▷ intimidation /ɪnˌtɪmɪˈdeɪʃ ə n, ɪnˌtɪməˈdeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
when you try to make someone do what you want by making them feel afraid :
▪ Hoskins used intimidation and violence to get money from local restaurant owners.
▪ The killings are part of a campaign of intimidation against opposition supporters.
▷ menace /ˈmenɪs, ˈmenəs/ [uncountable noun]
a way of behaving or speaking that makes people think that you are threatening them, even though you do not actually say or do anything violent :
▪ His voice was soft but his tone and expression were full of menace.
▪ Her manner suddenly changed from friendliness and warmth to one of faint menace.
▷ threatening behaviour /ˌθretnɪŋ bɪˈheɪvjəʳ/ [uncountable noun] British
the criminal offence of behaving in a threatening way towards someone - use this in legal contexts :
▪ He was charged with being drunk and disorderly and using threatening behaviour.