threatening
/ˈθɹɛtə.nɪŋ/ adjective, noun
Also a form of threaten
Forms threatenings threatning
- adjective Presenting a threat, posing a likely risk of harm. “Never turn your back to someone who is displaying threatening behavior.”
- adjective Making threats, making statements about a willingness to cause harm.
- noun An act of threatening; a threat.
Synonyms
minacious menacing baleful threatensome threatful ominous forbidding minatory sinister heavy lowering sullen
Etymology
From Middle English thretenyng, þreteninde, equivalent to threaten + -ing.
From Middle English thretenyng, thretnynge, þretnynge, equivalent to threaten + -ing.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “threatening”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details