How do you pronounce threatening?

The recorded pronunciation is /ˈθɹɛtə.nɪŋ/.

Where does threatening come from?

It is traced to Middle English.

threatening

/ˈθɹɛtə.nɪŋ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.19 in modern English

Syllables: threat-en-ing
IPA: /ˈθɹɛtə.nɪŋ/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

present participle and gerund of threaten

adj

Presenting a threat, posing a likely risk of harm.

adj

Making threats, making statements about a willingness to cause harm.

noun

An act of threatening; a threat.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Never turn your back to someone who is displaying threatening behavior."
"Fie, fie, vnknit that thretaning vnkinde brovv, / And dart not ſcornefull glances from thoſe eies, / To vvound thy Lord, thy King, thy Gouernour."
"And nowe lorde beholde their threatenyngꝭ / and graunte vnto thy ſervauntꝭ wyth all confydence to ſpeake thy worde."
"In Mr. J. C. Hotten’s Life, and in Mr. A. W. Ward’s admirable monograph in the “English Men of Letters” Series, a paper of mine called “Pincher Astray” is attributed to Dickens."

Etymology

From Middle English thretenyng, þreteninde, equivalent to threaten + -ing.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: thretenyng
Suffix: threaten

Usage

Inflected Forms

threatning (alternative) more threatening (comparative) most threatening (superlative) threatenings (plural)

Derived Forms

nonthreatening threateningly threateningness unthreatening

Phrases

life-threatening non-threatening

Synonyms

minacious menacing baleful threatensome threatful ominous forbidding minatory sinister