threat
[noun]
Synonyms:
- warning, foreboding, foreshadowing, omen, portent, presage, writing on the wall
- danger, hazard, menace, peril, risk

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English Thesaurus: risk, threat, hazar

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

threat S3 W2 /θret/ noun
[Word Family: verb: threaten; noun: threat; adverb: threateningly; adjective: threatening]
[Language: Old English]

1. [uncountable and countable] a statement in which you tell someone that you will cause them harm or trouble if they do not do what you want:
Your threats don’t scare me.
threat of
the threat of military invasion
threat from
He says his family received phone threats from the group.
threats made against his wife and children
Nichols never carried out his threat to resign.
The government will not give in to terrorist threats.
She dismissed the statement as an empty threat.
They warned him with veiled threats not to mention anything he had witnessed.
The police are investigating death threats made against the two men.
Officials at the school say they received a bomb threat at approximately 11:30 a.m. today.

2. [countable usually singular] the possibility that something very bad will happen
threat of
the threat of famine
threat from
According to the Secretary of State, the Russians face no threat from an expanded NATO.
under threat
The area remains under threat from commercial developers.
be under threat of closure/attack etc (=be likely to be closed, attacked etc)
The program is under threat of closure due to lack of funding.

3. [countable usually singular] someone or something that is regarded as a possible danger
threat to
The fighting is a major threat to stability in the region.
present/pose a threat (to somebody/something)
Pollution poses a threat to fish.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

threat
noun
I. expression of intention to do harm/punish
ADJ. dire, terrible Despite dire threats of violence from extremist groups, the protest passed off peacefully.
empty, idle The kids took no notice of the teacher's idle threats.
implied, veiled The company's pay offer was accompanied by thinly-veiled threats of redundancies if it was rejected.
explicit | physical, violent | verbal | bomb, death, suicide
VERB + THREAT issue, make, utter | receive | carry out It's unwise to make threats that you cannot carry out.
lift, withdraw Teachers have lifted their threat of strike action.
reduce | give in to The government refused to give in to the hijackers' threats.
PREP. ~ against The accused made death threats against a notable politician.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

threat
II. possible danger
ADJ. big, considerable, dangerous, deadly, grave, great, major, real, serious, significant | main | growing, increasing | constant, continual, continuous, ever-present, permanent | renewed The national park is under renewed threat from road-building schemes.
direct, immediate, imminent The opposition presents no immediate threat to the government.
insidious | long-term, short-term | potential | apparent, perceived | external The government was faced with internal rebellion as well as external threats.
physical | political | environmental | military, nuclear, terrorist
VERB + THREAT be, pose, present, represent the environmental threat posed by oil spillages
consider sth (as), perceive sth as, regard sth as, see sth as, view sth as Translators do not yet perceive computers as a threat to their livelihood.
face, meet
PREP. under ~ Many wild plants are under threat of extinction.
~ from the threat from overfishing
~ of a threat of violence
~ to The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

threat

make/issue a threat
Neighbours say that they heard Gardiner make threats against his wife.
carry out a threat (=do what you threatened to do)
She ought to have carried out her threat to go to the police.
give in to a threat (=do what something wants you to do after they threaten you)
The government is not going to give in to terrorist threats.
a death threat (=a threat to kill someone)
Scientists involved in the research have received death threats.
a bomb threat
The station was closed because of a bomb threat.
an empty/idle threat (=one that is not sincere)
She was not a woman to make idle threats.
a veiled threat (=one that is not made directly)
The emails contained thinly veiled threats of harm.
a serious/major threat
Bad air quality poses a serious threat to public health.
the greatest/biggest threat
The greatest threat to our planet is global warming.
a real threat
These measures pose a real threat to the future of agriculture.
a potential threat
The group remains a potential threat to the regime.
an immediate threat (=the possibility that something bad will happen very soon)
The volcano erupted on Thursday but there is no immediate threat to nearby towns.
a direct threat
The workers destroyed the textile machinery which they saw as a direct threat to their jobs.
a military threat
Each country regarded the other as a major military threat.
a terrorist threat
U.S. officials underestimated the terrorist threat before the June 25 bombing.
pose/present a threat
The rebels do not pose a serious threat to the armed forces.
represent a threat
He is not afraid, because you represent no threat to him.
counter/combat a threat
We must work together to counter the threat of state terrorism.
face a threat (=likely to be affected by something)
The factory is facing the threat of closure.
meet a threat (=deal with it)
We must transform our armed forces to meet emerging threats.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

threat
noun
BAD: They used to threat each other with atomic bombs.
GOOD: They used to threaten each other with atomic bombs.

Usage Note:
Threat is a noun: 'The letter was full of threats and accusations.' 'The President said he would stand firm and not give in to threats from terrorists.'
The verb is threaten : 'Whenever they have an argument, she threatens to leave him.' 'He is threatening the magazine with legal action unless they publish a full apology.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

risk the chance that something bad may happen:
Smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer.
threat the possibility that something very bad will happen:
the only way to reduce the threat of nuclear war
hazard something that may be dangerous or cause accidents or problems:
natural hazards like avalanches

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

threat
θret
See: triple threat

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲