threat

The word “threat” means a statement expressing intent to harm or punish someone. In plain terms, a warning of harm, or something/someone that could cause danger.

“Threat” is pronounced threht (/θɹɛt/ in IPA).

Here is “threat” used in a sentence: “He received a threatening letter warning him to leave town.”

Words with a similar meaning to “threat” include intimidation, warning and menace.

The opposite of “threat” — its antonyms — is protection.

“Threat” is a noun.

The word “threat” comes from Old English. From Old English þrēat, originally meaning "pressure" or "oppression," related to a root meaning "to squeeze or press.".

“Threat” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

A threat expresses an intention to cause harm or punishment, usually to intimidate or pressure someone. A warning is meant to protect: it alerts a person to a danger so they can avoid it. The key difference is intent — a threat promises harm, while a warning tries to prevent it.

In everyday and security use, a threat is the potential source of harm — the person, action or event that could cause damage. A risk is the likelihood of that harm actually happening and how serious it would be. In short, the threat is the danger; the risk is the exposure to it.

Threats take many forms. They can be verbal or written, direct or implied, and range from personal intimidation to wider dangers such as security, environmental or economic threats. In computing, a 'threat' means anything that could exploit a weakness to damage a system or steal data. Context decides which sense applies.