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   encouraging, promising, reassuring, enticing, passed, overpast, withdrawn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

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How to use threatening in a sentence?

1. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly:

   The quick response and combined efforts of FCSO deputies, Crisis Negotiations, Communications Center, Fire Rescue, and the deputies holding the juvenile’s hand saved a life today, their training in de-escalation techniques and being able to talk to someone who’s threatening to take their life is remarkable.

2. Attorney Eric Nelson:

   And now that we have U.S. representatives … threatening acts of violence in relation to this specific case, it's mind boggling.

3. Patricia Billinger:

   She did make statements that were threatening to schools and she did purchase a firearm... and that's why she's a credible threat.

4. Michelle Rinker:

   I love the billboard, we're conservative and there's a lot of corruption that's happened in this country and I don't think it's threatening.

5. Richard Oram:

   If you get this wrong, if you label someone who actually has type 2 diabetes as type 1 they'll be left on insulin for the rest of their life when they don't need it. Even worse, if someone with type 1 diabetes is mislabelled as having type 2 diabetes then they may not be treated with the insulin they need and they may suffer life threatening complications.