THREAT

I. ˈthret, usu -ed.+V noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English thret threat, coercion, troop, from Old English thrēat coercion, troop; akin to Old English thrēotan to annoy, Middle High German drōz annoyance, Old High German driozan to annoy, Old Norse thraut hard task, thrjōta to fail, lack, Gothic us thriutan to harass, persecute, Latin trudere to push, thrust, Russian trud labor

1. : an indication of something impending and usually undesirable or unpleasant

the air held a threat of rain

as

a. : an expression of an intention to inflict evil, injury, or damage on another usually as retribution or punishment for something done or left undone

quieted at once on the teacher's threat to keep them in after school

b. : expression of an intention to inflict loss or harm on another by illegal means and especially by means involving coercion or duress of the person threatened

threats inducing fear of bodily harm are often cause for legal action even in the absence of overt violence

2. : something that by its very nature or relation to another threatens the welfare of the latter

the crumbling cliff was a constant threat to the village below

economic depressions constitute a major threat to party hegemony — C.A.M.Ewing

II. verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

Etymology: Middle English threten, from Old English thrēatian, from thrēat, n.

transitive verb

1. obsolete : to exert pressure upon : urge , press

2. archaic : threaten

intransitive verb

archaic : threaten