- threat
- noun1 expression of intention to do harm/punishADJECTIVE▪ dire, terrible▪
Despite dire threats of violence from extremist groups, the protest passed off peacefully.
▪ empty, idle▪The kids took no notice of the teacher's idle threats.
▪ credible▪ implied, veiled▪The company's pay offer was accompanied by thinly veiled threats if it was rejected.
▪ explicit▪ physical, violent▪ verbal▪ bomb, death, suicideVERB + THREAT▪ issue, make, utter▪ receive▪ carry out▪It's unwise to make threats that you cannot carry out.
▪ lift, withdraw▪Teachers have lifted their threat of strike action.
▪ give in to▪The government refused to give in to the hijackers' threats.
PREPOSITION▪ threat against▪The accused made death threats against a notable politician.
2 possible dangerADJECTIVE▪ big, considerable, dangerous, deadly, grave, great, major, real, serious, significant▪ main▪ growing, increasing▪ constant, continual, ever-present, permanent▪ new▪ renewed▪The national park is under renewed threat from road-building schemes.
▪ direct, immediate, imminent▪The opposition presents no immediate threat to the government.
▪ insidious▪ long-term, short-term▪ possible, potential▪ apparent, perceived▪ external▪The government was faced with internal rebellion as well as external threats.
▪ physical▪ political▪ environmental, health▪ military, nuclear, security, terror, terroristVERB + THREAT▪ be, constitute, pose, present, represent▪the environmental threat posed by oil spillages
▪ consider sth (as), perceive sth as, regard sth as, see sth as, view sth as▪Translators do not yet perceive computers as a threat to their livelihood.
▪ address, face, meet▪ reduce▪ counter, eliminateTHREAT + NOUN▪ assessment, levelPREPOSITION▪ under threat▪Many wild plants are under threat of extinction.
▪ threat from▪the threat from overfishing
▪ threat of▪a threat of violence
▪ threat to▪The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.