threat
part of speech
noun (a threat, threats)
meaning for a pupil
1) A threat is when someone says they will hurt you or do something bad if you do not do what they want. tree →
2) A threat is also something or someone that could cause danger or harm, like a storm or a disease. tree →
3) A sign that something bad may happen is a threat of it, like «a threat of rain». tree →
sense in the lessons
In safety lessons a threat must be told to a trusted adult and never kept secret; in science, threats to animals include pollution and habitat loss. Phrases: «make a threat», «under threat», «a threat to», «the threat of», «an empty threat».
examples
- The bully made a threat, so I told my teacher. tree →
- Pollution is a threat to sea animals. tree →
- There is a threat of thunderstorms tonight. tree →
- Pandas were under threat, but their numbers are growing. tree →
- Don't give in to threats; get help. tree →
- His warning was just an empty threat. tree →
- Wildfires are a threat in hot, dry summers. tree →
- The old Fairy fancied she was slighted, and muttered some threat between her teeth. tree →
note
Countable. Verb: threaten; adjective: threatening. Pronounced THRET (th as in «thin»). Online threats are serious too: save them and tell an adult. «Under threat» means in danger.
In the corpora
- See, it says 'mild threat' here."
- Caimans and crocodiles bask with their mouths open to let heat escape and cool down; it is not a threat or a yawn.
- Sea urchins are covered with movable spines that point towards a threat, and their mouth underneath has five teeth called Aristotle's lantern.
- Staring straight into a strange dog's eyes can feel like a threat to the dog.
- Some promises do not count: a promise forced by a threat, or one that controls who you can be friends with.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «threat» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.