To say or show that you will cause harm or trouble to someone. It can also mean to be likely to cause damage or bad results.
From Middle English 'threten' from Old English 'þrēatian' meaning 'to press, urge, trouble.' It is built from the same root as 'threat' but originally carried a sense of pressing or crowding. The modern meaning focuses on announcing or causing possible harm.
You can threaten with words, but storms, diseases, and even deadlines are said to 'threaten' too. That shows how language treats future harm—as a shadow that can loom over you whether it speaks or not. The verb packages fear, power, and timing into one move.
Threats have been used to enforce gender norms and control women’s behavior, from domestic threats to institutional retaliation against those challenging sexism. Legal and social systems have often under-responded to threats against women and marginalized genders.
Use 'threaten' to describe specific actions or statements, and avoid framing people as 'threatening' based on gendered stereotypes. Do not trivialize threats of violence or harassment.
["intimidate","menace","pose a risk to"]
Women’s movements have pushed for recognition that threats—online and offline—are serious forms of gender-based violence and control, leading to legal reforms and platform policies.
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