Synonyms for threatening
ˈθrɛt n ɪŋthreat·en·ing

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. threatening

   Imminent, from the Latin, with the sense of projecting over, signifies liable to happen at once, as some calamity, dangerous and close at hand. Impending, also from the Latin, with the sense of hanging over, is closely akin to imminent, but somewhat less emphatic. Imminent is more immediate, impending more remote, threatening more contingent. An impending evil is almost sure to happen at some uncertain time, perhaps very near; an imminent peril is one liable to befall very speedily; a threatening peril may be near or remote, but always with hope that it may be averted.

   Synonyms:
   imminent, impending

   Antonyms:
   chimerical, contingent, doubtful, improbable, problematical, unexpected, unlikely

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. threatening

   Synonyms:
   menacing, intimidating, minatory, comminatory, minacious, foreboding, unpromising, imminent, impending

   Antonyms:
   encouraging, promising, reassuring, enticing, passed, overpast, withdrawn

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

1. baleful, forbidding, menacing, minacious, minatory, ominous, sinister, threateningadjective

   threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

   "a baleful look"; "forbidding thunderclouds"; "his tone became menacing"; "ominous rumblings of discontent"; "sinister storm clouds"; "a sinister smile"; "his threatening behavior"; "ugly black clouds"; "the situation became ugly"

   Synonyms:
   grim, inauspicious, sullen, minacious, baneful, lowering, black, baleful, dark, sinister, heavy, minatory, dour, ominous, menacing, ill, forbidding

   Antonyms:
   unalarming, clear

2. heavy, lowering, sullen, threateningadjective

   darkened by clouds

   "a heavy sky"

   Synonyms:
   ominous, laboured, sullen, laborious, overweight, toilsome, intemperate, forbidding, with child(p), sound, dark, wakeless, dense, grueling, dour, heavy(p), grave, cloggy, heavy(a), large(p), baleful, clayey, enceinte, minatory, menacing, grievous, glowering, fleshy, sour, weighed down, hard, weighty, impenetrable, gruelling, expectant, lumbering, ponderous, backbreaking, sonorous, great(p), profound, operose, saturnine, heavy, arduous, big(a), labored, moody, morose, punishing, glum, gravid, big(p), minacious, lowering, leaden, sinister

   Antonyms:
   unalarming, clear

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. threateningadjective

   Synonyms:
   menacing, impending, impendent, imminent, minatory

2. threateningnoun

   Synonyms:
   commination, threat, denunciation, menace

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. threateningadjective

   Synonyms:
   imminent, ominous, impending, minatory, fulminating

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "threatening":

   threat, menacing, threatens, threaten, threatened, endangering, threat-related, threats, jeopardizing, jeopardising, menace

How to pronounce threatening?

How to say threatening in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use threatening in a sentence?

1. Mike Huckabee:

   At the time, I didn't. But looking back, I think that maybe the metaphor is not a good one, it should be strictly used. But in this case, it's absolutely appropriate because the Iranians are threatening the murder of millions of Jews.

2. Greg Peters:

   I think their window has closed on them, if they aren't going to do anything, they should stop threatening the market that they are going to move. It is adding confusion.

3. Rick Rosenthal:

   Santas are typically in a minimum of two high-risk categories for the coronavirus. They are usually individuals over the age of 65 and they are overweight, so even to do this job in a pandemic can be life-threatening.

4. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images:

   Because of the timing, our message is being conflated by some as being equivalent to the recent statement by Republican Leader McCarthy threatening an end to aid to Ukraine if Republicans take over, nothing could be further from the truth.

5. Narayana Kocherlakota:

   If the president was literally threatening independence, we should see that The Fed is losing control of inflation expectations.