threaten

verb

1. 扬言要；威胁；恐吓
   to say that you will cause trouble, hurt sb, etc. if you do not get what you want
   1. They broke my windows and threatened me.
      他们砸碎我的窗子并威胁我。
   2. The attacker threatened them with a gun.
      袭击者用枪威胁他们。
   3. He was threatened with dismissal if he continued to turn up late for work.
      他受到警告，如果继续上班迟到，就被辞退。
   4. The threatened strike has been called off.
      扬言要进行的罢工被取消了。
   5. The hijackers threatened to kill one passenger every hour if their demands were not met.
      劫机者要挟说，如果他们的要求得不到满足，他们每过一小时就杀死一名乘客。
2. 预示凶兆；有…危险
   to seem likely to happen or cause sth unpleasant
   1. A storm was threatening.
      暴风雨即将来临。
   2. This dispute threatens to split the party.
      这一分歧可能会造成党的分裂。
   3. The clouds threatened rain.
      乌云密布预示大雨将至。
3. 危及；对…构成威胁
   to be a danger to sth
   1. Pollution is threatening marine life.
      污染正危及海洋生物。

1. VERB 威胁;恐吓
   If a person threatens to do something unpleasant to you, or if they threaten you, they say or imply that they will do something unpleasant to you, especially if you do not do what they want.
   1. He said army officers had threatened to destroy the town...
      他说陆军军官们曾威胁要摧毁那座小镇。
   2. He tied her up and threatened her with a six-inch knife...
      他把她捆起来，拿着一把 6 英寸长的刀子威胁她。
   3. If you threaten me or use any force, I shall inform the police.
      你要是威胁我或是动武，我就报警。
2. VERB 危害到;威胁到
   If something or someone threatens a person or thing, they are likely to harm that person or thing.
   1. The newcomers directly threaten the livelihood of the established workers...
      新来的工人直接威胁到老工人的饭碗。
   2. The unity of our society is threatened by troublesome and restless minorities...
      我们社会的团结遭到了一小撮滋扰生事、不安分守己的群体的威胁。
   3. 30 percent of reptiles, birds, and fish are currently threatened with extinction.
      目前，30% 的爬行动物、鸟类和鱼类面临灭绝的危险。
3. VERB (坏事)可能发生，将要发生
   If something unpleasant threatens to happen, it seems likely to happen.
   1. The fighting is threatening to turn into full-scale war...
      这场战斗有可能会演变为全面的战争。
   2. Plants must be covered with a leaf-mould or similarly protected if frost threatens.
      如果霜冻来临，植物必须盖上腐叶土或用类似方法加以保护。
4. See also: threatened threatening

1. Will severe selection standards create elitism and threaten the Olympic ethic of participation?
   严格的选拔标准是否会造成精英主义，进而危及奥林匹克重在参与的理念呢？
2. Some banks also have a hit list of people whom they threaten to sue for damages.
   一些银行还列出一个黑名单，威胁要控告这些人，要求赔偿损失。
3. The government's political and economic reforms threaten to plunge the country into chaos
   政府的政治和经济改革可能会使国家陷入混乱局面。
4. We are reproducing ourselves at such a rate that our numbers threaten the ecology of the planet.
   我们的繁衍速度太快，以至于人口数量对地球的生态系统造成了威胁。
5. Loss of confidence could trigger a run on Citibank that would threaten the entire financial system.
   民众信心的丧失可能导致花旗银行出现挤兑，从而威胁到整个金融体系。
6. Even after their divorce he continued to stalk and threaten her.
   即使在离婚后他仍继续纠缠和威胁她。
7. He said army officers had threatened to destroy the town
   他说陆军军官们曾威胁要摧毁那座小镇。
8. He tied her up and threatened her with a six-inch knife
   他把她捆起来，拿着一把6英寸长的刀子威胁她。
9. If you threaten me or use any force, I shall inform the police.
   你要是威胁我或是动武，我就报警。
10. The newcomers directly threaten the livelihood of the established workers
    新来的工人直接威胁到老工人的饭碗。
11. The unity of our society is threatened by troublesome and restless minorities
    我们社会的团结遭到了一小撮滋扰生事、不安分守己的群体的威胁。
12. 30 percent of reptiles, birds, and fish are currently threatened with extinction.
    目前，30%的爬行动物、鸟类和鱼类面临灭绝的危险。
13. The fighting is threatening to turn into full-scale war
    这场战斗有可能会演变为全面的战争。
14. Plants must be covered with a leaf-mould or similarly protected if frost threatens.
    如果霜冻来临，植物必须盖上腐叶土或用类似方法加以保护。
15. I must be careful not to tread on their toes. My job is to challenge, but not threaten them.
    我必须小心谨慎，不能得罪他们。我的工作是挑战他们，而不是威胁他们。
16. She could threaten to play her trump card, an autobiography of embarrassing disclosures.
    她可能会威胁要拿出她的杀手锏：出自传来爆料糗事。
17. They threaten them with violence.
    他们对其进行暴力威胁。
18. Our military ties threaten no third party.
    我们的军事关系，不威胁任何第三方。
19. The people have no fear of death, so why threaten them with it?
    民不畏死，奈何以死惧之？（《老子》）
20. Balk the purpose of those who threaten us.
    遏止那些威胁我们的人的目的。
21. Energy crisis will threaten our existence because of our excessive exploitation and because of the growing population.
    由于我们的过度开采和人口的不断增长，能源危机将威胁着我们的生存。
22. It is if you harass, follow or threaten.
    那是如果你骚扰，跟踪和恐吓的话。
23. Technology creates more problems than it solves, and may threaten or damage the quality of life.
    技术解决了问题，但是带来了更多的问题，并且可能会威胁或损害生活质量。
24. All of these also threaten growth.
    所有这些问题还对经济增长构成威胁。
25. The problems which beset us and threaten to destroy us.
    困扰着我们、使我们面临着毁灭威胁的问题。
26. Did they attack or threaten you?
    他们进攻或者威胁你们了？
27. Don't try to threaten me. I won't compromise with you.
    不要威胁我，我不会和你妥协的。
28. It could threaten and intimidate the oil states of the Gulf.
    它可以威胁和恐吓海湾地区的石油国家。
29. Why do you mock and threaten old men?
    为什么你要嘲笑和威胁那些年老的人？
30. Poverty, disease and conflicts have historically threaten food security.
    在历史上，贫困、疾病和争战都曾对食物安全构成威胁。

  threaten menace【导航词义：威胁】

  threaten v. 威胁，恐吓

〔辨析〕尤指以威胁或恐吓的方式胁迫某人做或不做某事，含如不服从将会有严重后果之意。

  menace v. 〈正式〉威胁，恐吓

〔辨析〕多指用目光、行动、武器等对别人进行恐吓，而不是用语言明白地表示出来。

  endanger imperil threaten【导航词义：危及】

  endanger v. 危及，危害

〔辨析〕指使人或事物遭受危险、破坏等。

  imperil v. 〈正式〉使陷于危险中，危及

〔辨析〕可与 endanger 换用，但更强调未来的危险。

  threaten v. 危及，威胁到

〔辨析〕指对人或事物构成威胁。