threaten

Meanings

Verb

pose a threat to; present a danger to
to utter intentions of injury or punishment against:
- "He threatened me when I tried to call the police"
to be a menacing indication of something:
- "The clouds threaten rain"
- "Danger threatens"
To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
To menace, or be dangerous.
To portend, or give a warning of.
To call into question the validity of (a belief, idea, or viewpoint); to challenge.
To be close to equaling or surpassing (a record, etc.)

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English thretenen, from Old English þrēatnian (“to urge, force, compel”), equivalent to threat + -en.

Synonyms

endanger, imperil, jeopardise, jeopardize, menace, peril

Antonyms

promise

Scrabble Score: 11

threaten is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
threaten is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
threaten is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

threaten is a valid Words With Friends word