- An expression of an intention to inflict pain, injury, evil, or punishment.
- An indication of impending danger or harm.
- One that is regarded as a possible danger; a menace.
To threaten.
[Middle English, from Old English thrēat, oppression.]
Dictionary:
threat (thrĕt) ![]() |
To threaten.
[Middle English, from Old English thrēat, oppression.]
| 5min Related Video: threat |
| Computer Desktop Encyclopedia: threat |
The danger of an attack on a computer system. See threat management, blended threat and risk assessment.
Download Computer Desktop Encyclopedia to your iPhone/iTouch
| Thesaurus: threat |
noun
| Dental Dictionary: threat |
A menace; a statement of intention to harm or injure the person, property, or rights of another.
| Columbia Encyclopedia: threat |
| Law Encyclopedia: Threats |
Spoken or written words tending to intimidate or menace others.
Statutes in a number of jurisdictions prohibit the use of threats and unlawful communications by any person. Some of the more common types of threats forbidden by law are those made with an intent to obtain a pecuniary advantage or to compel a person to act against his or her will. In all states, it is an offense to threaten to (1) use a deadly weapon on another person; (2) injure another's person or property; or (3) injure another's reputation.
It is a federal offense to threaten to harm the president or to use the mail to transmit threatening communications. These laws must be balanced against First Amendment rights.
Unlawful communications include, among other things, the use of threats to prevent another from engaging in a lawful occupation and writing libelous letters or letters that tend to provoke a breach of the peace. The use of intimidation for purposes of collecting an unpaid debt has been held to constitute an unlawful communication but might be prosecuted as extortion.
A mere threat that does not cause any harm is generally not actionable. When combined with apparently imminent bodily harm, however, a threat is an assault for which the offender might be subject to civil or criminal liability. In most jurisdictions, a plaintiff can recover damages for the intentional infliction of severe mental or emotional suffering caused by threats or unlawful communications.
In those jurisdictions that have statutes prohibiting unlawful communications, such as letters that tend to provoke a breach of the peace, a violation of the statute gives rise to a civil action for damages.
| Word Tutor: threat |
Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat.
— Anonymous
| Dream Symbol: Threat |
Someone who dreams of threatening another in a dream may need to assert himself or herself in some area. If, however, the dreamer is being threatened, the dream may mean that some internal fear of inadequacy needs to be addressed.
| Wikipedia: Threat |
| Look up threat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Threat may refer to:
| This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
| Translations: Threat |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - trussel
v. tr. - true
Nederlands (Dutch)
(be)dreiging
Français (French)
n. - menace, risque, danger
v. tr. - menacer (arch)
Deutsch (German)
n. - Drohung, Bedrohung, bedrohliches Anzeichen
v. - bedrohen
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - απειλή, φοβέρα, (προφανής) κίνδυνος
Português (Portuguese)
n. - ameaça (f), presságio (m)
Русский (Russian)
угроза, грозное предзнаменование, опасность
Español (Spanish)
n. - amenaza, peligro, intimidación
v. tr. - amenazar, intimidar
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - hot, hotelse, fara
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
恐吓, 威胁, 凶兆, 预示, 是...的征兆
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 恐嚇, 威脅, 凶兆
v. tr. - 威脅, 恐嚇, 預示, 是...的徵兆
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 위협, 흉조, 강적
v. tr. - 협박하다, ~하겠다고 으르다
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 脅し, 脅威になるもの, 兆し, 威嚇, 脅威
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) تهديد
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - איום, סכנה, אות מבשר רעות
v. tr. - איים (מיושן)
If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.
To select your translation preferences click here.
| Shopping: threat |
| First Amendment | |
| libelous | |
| breach of the peace |
| What is the opposite of a threat? Read answer... | |
| What are antarctica's threats? Read answer... | |
| Are asteroid a threat? Read answer... |
| What are your threats for your job? | |
| What are economic threats? | |
| What is a threat to the everglades? |
Copyrights:
![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. THIS COPYRIGHTED DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher. © 1981-2009 Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/. Read more | |
![]() | Law Encyclopedia. West's Encyclopedia of American Law. Copyright © 1998 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved. eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial. Read more | |
![]() | Dream Symbol. The Dreams Encyclopedia. 1995 ©Visible Ink Press. All rights reserved. Read more | |
![]() | Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Threat". Read more | |
![]() | Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
Mentioned in