threaten
Warn of consequences
To threaten is to express intention to harm or punish: He threatened to fire anyone who spoke to the press.
The harm need not be stated explicitly—a threatening gesture or tone conveys menace.
Things that threaten pose potential danger: Rising waters threaten the town.
A threatened species faces possible extinction.
Something threatening feels ominous or dangerous: threatening clouds gathered on the horizon.
To put at risk
- imperilPut in danger
- jeopardizePut at risk
- riskPossibility of harm
- hazardSource of potential harm
compromise · expose · vulnerable · precarious · perilous · unsafe · at risk · in jeopardy
Instill fear to control
bully · blackmail · extort · strong-arm · browbeat · bulldoze · cow · terrorize
Suggesting something bad approaches
foreshadow · augur · bode · herald · brewing · gathering · darkening · approaching
endanger
To put at risk
- imperilPut in danger
- jeopardizePut at risk
- riskPossibility of harm
hazard · compromise · expose · vulnerable · precarious · perilous · unsafe · at risk · in jeopardy · hang over
intimidate
Instill fear to control
compel · bully · blackmail · extort · strong-arm · browbeat · bulldoze · cow · terrorize · menace
ominous
Suggesting something bad approaches
presage · foreshadow · augur · bode · herald · brewing · gathering · darkening · approaching · imminent
caution
Careful attention to risk
admonish · advise · signal · notify · apprise · hint · promise · vow · pledge · swear
- confrontationsargue, fight, clash, quarrel, dispute
- intimidationmenacing, intimidate, bullying, menace, intimidating
- scare tacticsfrighten, terrify, intimidate, menace, alarm
- aggressionhostility, violence, attack, fight, combativeness
- persuasionpersuade, persuasion, persuasive, convince, convincing
- discouraging actionsdeter, dissuade, daunt, dishearten, demoralize
- death threatStated intent to murder
- empty threatWarning without substance
- bomb threatClaim of planted explosive
- nuclear threatRisk of warhead deployment
- criminal threatsIllegal statements promising harm
- triple threatPerformer with three skills
threat, threatening, threats, threatened, threatens, nonthreatening, unthreatening, threatener, unthreatened