Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

idle threat

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.65 in modern English

Syllables: idle threat
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

1

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A threat made by a person who does not mean to carry it out, and which perhaps shouldn't be taken seriously by others.

Example Sentences

"Without any injection of money, Transport for London has said the project could be mothballed. This may not be an idle threat, given the future decline expected in London and South East commuting."

Inflected Forms

idle threats (plural)

Questions

What does idle threat mean?: A threat made by a person who does not mean to carry it out, and which perhaps shouldn't be taken seriously by others.

How to pronounce idle threat

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “idle threat”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “idle threat” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.