To threaten means to warn that you will hurt someone or cause harm if they don't do what you want. When a bully threatens another student, they might say they'll cause trouble unless the student hands over their lunch money. When storm clouds gather and darken the sky, people say the weather threatens rain.

A threat is the warning itself. If someone makes a threat, they're saying something bad will happen. Threats can be direct (“I'll tell everyone your secret”) or implied through actions, like when someone glares at you while cracking their knuckles.

The word also describes anything that creates danger or risk. A forest fire threatens nearby homes. An illness threatens a person's health. In these cases, threaten means “to put at risk” rather than “to warn.” When your team falls behind in the final quarter but starts scoring quickly, you might say they threaten to make a comeback, meaning they're getting dangerously close to winning.