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# threaten

verb (threaten, threatens, threatened, threatening)

«threaten» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To threaten is to say you will hurt someone or do something bad if they do not do what you want. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#m1)
2. To threaten is to be a danger to something, like a storm threatening a town. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#m2)
3. To threaten can mean something bad seems likely to happen, like rain threatening. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#m3)

### In the lessons

In safety and anti-bullying lessons, children learn that if someone threatens them, online or in person, they should tell a trusted adult straight away. In science and geography, pollution and habitat loss threaten animals and plants; endangered species are «threatened». In stories, the villain threatens the hero. Phrases: «threaten to», «threatened species», «it threatens to rain».

### Examples

- The bully threatened to take my lunch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#x1)
- If someone threatens you, tell a teacher. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#x2)
- Pollution threatens the coral reef. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#x3)
- Dark clouds threatened rain. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#x4)
- The fire threatened the houses near the forest. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#x5)
- The dragon threatened to burn the village. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#x6)
- Never threaten other people online. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#x7)
- Rising sea levels threaten small islands. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#x8)
- Bluff and threatening words are of little value with rascals. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/#x9)

### Note

Past form: threatened. Pronounced «THRET-en»; the «ea» sounds like the e in «bed». «Threaten to + verb»: «He threatened to leave». Related noun: «threat». Threatening someone is never okay and can be against the law.

## In Jewish tradition

In safety and anti-bullying lessons, children learn that if someone threatens them, online or in person, they should tell a trusted adult straight away. In science and geography, pollution and habitat loss threaten animals and plants; endangered species are «threatened». In stories, the villain threatens the hero. Phrases: «threaten to», «threatened species», «it threatens to rain».

### Examples

- The ransom of a man's life are his riches; but the poor heareth no threatening. (Writings PRO.13.8, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/threaten/#x1)

### Note

Past form: threatened. Pronounced «THRET-en»; the «ea» sounds like the e in «bed». «Threaten to + verb»: «He threatened to leave». Related noun: «threat». Threatening someone is never okay and can be against the law.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «threaten» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/threaten/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«threaten» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/threaten.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «threaten» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/threaten/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«threaten» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/threaten.html) on Mova free.