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threatening
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English Dictionary: threatening by the DICT Development Group
3 results for threatening
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
threatening
adj
  1. 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"
    Synonym(s): baleful, forbidding, menacing, minacious, minatory, ominous, sinister, threatening
  2. darkened by clouds; "a heavy sky"
    Synonym(s): heavy, lowering, sullen, threatening
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Threaten \Threat"en\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Threatened}; p. pr. &
      vb. n. {Threatening}.] [OE. [thorn]retenen. See {Threat}, v.
      t.]
      1. 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.
  
                     Let us straitly threaten them, that they speak
                     henceforth to no man in this name.      --Acts iv. 17.
  
      2. 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. --Milton.
  
                     The skies look grimly And threaten present blusters.
                                                                              --Shak.
  
      Syn: To menace.
  
      Usage: {Threaten}, {Menace}. Threaten is Anglo-Saxon, and
                  menace is Latin. As often happens, the former is the
                  more familiar term; the latter is more employed in
                  formal style. We are threatened with a drought; the
                  country is menaced with war.
  
                           By turns put on the suppliant and the lord:
                           Threatened this moment, and the next implored.
                                                                              --Prior.
  
                           Of the sharp ax Regardless, that o'er his
                           devoted head Hangs menacing.         --Somerville.

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
   Threatening \Threat"en*ing\,
      a. & n. from {Threaten}, v. -- {Threat"en*ing*ly}, adv.
  
      {Threatening letters} (Law), letters containing threats,
            especially those designed to extort money, or to obtain
            other property, by menaces; blackmailing letters.
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