From Middle English manace, from Old French manace, menace, &c., from Late Latin minācia (“threat, menace”), from Latin mināx (“threatening”) + -ia (suffix forming abstract nouns).
Meanings
A perceived threat or danger.
the dark menace of the distant war. 1697, Virgil, “The Ninth Book of the Æneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
The act of threatening.
(informal) An annoying and bothersome person or thing.
minacity (the act or process of threatening, a tendency to threaten) · minacy (the act or process of threatening, a tendency to threaten)
Translations (58)
pdt Jedreiw (act of threatening) · es amenaza (perceived threat or danger) · ko 위협 (act of threatening) · fi uhkailu (act of threatening) · ota قورقو (perceived threat or danger) · pdt Jedreiw (perceived threat or danger) · ja 脅威 (perceived threat or danger) · cs hrozba (perceived threat or danger) · de Druck (perceived threat or danger) · pt ameaça (perceived threat or danger) · ar تَهْدِيد (perceived threat or danger) · de Drohung (perceived threat or danger) · pl groźba (perceived threat or danger) · gl escachapedras (annoying and bothersome person) · de Bedrohung (act of threatening) · ca amenaça (perceived threat or danger) · ko 위협 (perceived threat or danger) · da fare (perceived threat or danger) · ru угро́за (act of threatening) · cmn 恐嚇 /恐吓 (act of threatening) · mk закана (perceived threat or danger) · yue 威脅 /威胁 (perceived threat or danger) · fi uhka (perceived threat or danger) · enm manace (perceived threat or danger) · de Plage (annoying and bothersome person) · es amenaza (act of threatening) · cmn 威脅 /威胁 (perceived threat or danger) · cy bygwl (act of threatening) · fi uhkaus (act of threatening) · pl zagrożenie (perceived threat or danger) · cy bygylau (act of threatening) · bg запла́ха (perceived threat or danger) · es menaza (act of threatening) · oc menaça (perceived threat or danger) · ko 협박 (act of threatening) · de Androhung (act of threatening) · da trussel (perceived threat or danger) · fi ilkimys (annoying and bothersome person) · be пагро́за (perceived threat or danger) · uk погро́за (perceived threat or danger) · de Bedrohung (perceived threat or danger) · bg запла́шване (act of threatening) · bg опа́сност (perceived threat or danger) · yue 恐嚇 /恐吓 (act of threatening) · it peste (annoying and bothersome person) · tr tehdit (perceived threat or danger) · fr menace (perceived threat or danger) · it minaccia (perceived threat or danger) · fi ilkiö (annoying and bothersome person) · de Landplage (annoying and bothersome person) · sk hrozba (perceived threat or danger) · fi maanvaiva (annoying and bothersome person) · pl zmora (annoying and bothersome person) · cy bygwl (perceived threat or danger) · enm manace (act of threatening) · ru угро́за (perceived threat or danger) · ru опа́сность (perceived threat or danger) · cy bygylau (perceived threat or danger)
First attested in 1303: from Middle English manacen, from Old French menacer, manecier, manechier and Anglo-Norman manasser, from the assumed Vulgar Latin *mināciāre, from Latin minācia, whence the noun.
Meanings
(ambitransitive, transitive) To make threats against (someone); to intimidate.
The Begums' ministers, on the contrary, to extort from them the disclosure of the place which concealed the treasures, were, […] after being fettered and imprisoned, led out on to a scaffold, and this array of terrours proving unavailing, the meek tempered Middleton, as a dernier resort, menaced them with a confinement in the fortress of Chunargar. Thus, my lords, was a British garrison made the climax of cruelties! 1788 June, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, “Mr. Sheridan’s Speech, on Summing Up the Evidence on the Second, or Begum Charge against Warren Hastings, Esq., Delivered before the High Court of Parliament, June 1788”, in Select Speeches, Forensick and Parliamentary, with Prefatory Remarks by N[athaniel] Chapman, M.D., volume I, [Philadelphia, Pa.]: Published by Hopkins and Earle, no. 170, Market Street, published 1808, →OCLC, page 474:
My master […] did menace me with death. c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
Bradley Barcola, on for Kvaratskhelia, menaced with his jet-heeled pace on the counter. 2026 May 30, David Hytner, “Paris Saint-Germain retain Champions League as Arsenal dream dashed in shootout”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 30 May 2026:
to menace a country with war
(ambitransitive) To threaten (an evil to be inflicted).
By oath he menaced / Revenge upon the cardinal. 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
Upon his browes was pourtraid vgly death,
And in his eies the furies of his heart,
That ſhine as Comets, menacing reueng,
And caſts a pale complexion on his cheeks. c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene ii:
(ambitransitive) To endanger (someone or something); to imperil or jeopardize.
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
menacing
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
menaced
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
menaced
Tense=Past
lexicographic
menaces
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
Translations (20)
cs ohrozit (to endanger) · pl grozić (to make threats against, to intimidate) · de einschüchtern (to make threats against, to intimidate) · de bedrohen (to make threats against, to intimidate) · es menazar (to make threats against, to intimidate) · es amenazar (to make threats against, to intimidate) · ru грози́ть (to make threats against, to intimidate) · de androhen (to make threats against, to intimidate) · cs hrozit (to make threats against, to intimidate) · bg заплашвам (to make threats against, to intimidate) · ru угрожа́ть (to make threats against, to intimidate) · fi uhkailla (to make threats against, to intimidate) · fi pelotella (to make threats against, to intimidate) · enm manacen (to make threats against, to intimidate) · mi whakahakahaka (to make threats against, to intimidate) · et ähvardama (to make threats against, to intimidate) · bg застрашавам (to make threats against, to intimidate) · cs zastrašovat (to make threats against, to intimidate) · es amenazar (to endanger) · cs ohrožovat (to endanger)