Basic+ Word of the Day: threat

threat (noun)

A threat is a sign or warning of trouble or danger.

• The threat of war was evident in the late 1930s.
• The journalist received death threats after she wrote her expose.
• The threat of a teachers' strike was a negotiating tool for the labor union.

Don't confuse it with

thread: a thin, fine cord of fiber used for sewing. Example: “Charlie used a needle and thread to sew a button on his shirt.”

Common uses

triple threat: an entertainer who can sing, dance and act. Example: “We need a triple threat to star in the new musical comedy.”

Related words

threaten: to promise to do harm to someone. Example: “The gangster threatened to hurt Ted’s family if he didn’t cooperate.”

In pop culture

Listen to Iggy Pop sing “Neighborhood Threat” and read the lyrics in the comments.

There are other meanings of threat.