threats

4 definitions • 8 examples

a suggestion that something unpleasant or violent will happen, especially if a particular action or order is not followed:

[ + to infinitive ] Her parents carried out their threat to take away her mobile phone if her grades didn't improve.

threat of The threat of jail failed to deter him from petty crime.

pose a threat to Drunken drivers pose a serious threat (= cause a lot of harm) to other road users.

empty threat He says he'll tell the authorities but it's just an empty threat (= it will not happen).

to be in a situation where people are threatening you or something else with something bad or unpleasant:

She left the country under threat of arrest if she returned.

a statement that someone will be hurt or harmed, esp. if the person does not do something in particular:

She was fired after making threats to her co-workers.

the possibility that something unwanted will happen, or a person or thing that is likely to cause something unwanted to happen:

[ U ] A threat of rain is in today’s forecast.

[ U ] The boundary dispute raised the threat of war.