threatening

[ˈθɹɛt.n̩.ɪŋ]

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An action or situation that threatening is one that seems about to become dangerous or unpleasant. You might feel threatened by someone who's standing too close.

When we talk about something being threatening, it means it makes us feel uneasy or scared. For example, if there are protests happening outside your school, the atmosphere can be threatening and tense. Or if you know a storm is coming with strong winds and rain, that's also a threat.

How common is "threatening"?

Word threatening is considered rare in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

verb

To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
Example: He threatened me with a knife.
To menace, or be dangerous.
Example: The rocks threatened the ship's survival.
To portend, or give a warning of.
Example: The black clouds threatened heavy rain.
To be close to equaling or surpassing (a record, etc.)