Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Making or implying threats.
  • adjective Gving warning signs of bad weather.
  • adjective Causing the feeling that one's power, social standing, or self-esteem is in danger of being diminished.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of one who threatens; a threat; a menace; a menacing.
  • Indicating or containing a threat or menace.
  • Indicating some impending evil; specifically, indicating rain or snow.
  • Letters demanding money or other property with menaces.
  • Letters threatening to accuse any person of a crime, for the purpose of extorting money.
  • Letters threatening to kill a person. The precise definition of what facts constitute a penal offense in this respect varies much with the law in different jurisdictions.
  • Synonyms Menacing, minatory.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • a. & n. from threaten, v.
  • (Law) letters containing threats, especially those designed to extort money, or to obtain other property, by menaces; blackmailing letters.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of threaten.
  • adjective Presenting a threat; menacing; frightening.
  • noun An act of threatening; a threat.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective darkened by clouds
  • adjective threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From threaten +‎ -ing.

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