- (v.t.) To exhibit the appearance of (something evil or unpleasant) as approaching; to indicate as impending; to announce the conditional infliction of; as, to threaten war; to threaten death.
- (v.t.) To utter threats against; to menace; to inspire with apprehension; to alarm or attempt to alarm, as with the promise of something evil or disagreeable; to warn.
- (v.i.) To use threats or menaces; also, to have a threatening appearance.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). threaten. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/threaten/definitions/2072289 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "threaten" http://smartdefine.org/threaten/definitions/2072289 (accessed September 24, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, threaten, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/threaten/definitions/2072289>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "threaten" 28 May 2011. Web. 24 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/threaten/definitions/2072289> |