1)v

　　[Tn, Tn.pr] ~ sb (with sth) make a threat or threats against sb;try to influence sb by threats 恐吓或威胁某人: threaten an employee with dismissal 以开除要挟雇员

　　例：My attacker threatened me with a gun. 攻击我的人用枪威胁我.

　　[Tn, Tt] use (sth) as a threat 用(某事)相要挟: He threatened legal action. 他以起诉相要挟.

　　例：The hijackers threatened to kill all the passengers if their demands were not met. 劫机者扬言若不满足他们的要求, 就把乘客都杀死.

　　(a) [It, Tn] give warning of (sth) 预示(某事): It keeps threatening to snow, ie Snow seems likely all the time. 天总像是要下雪.

　　例：The clouds threatened rain. 有乌云预示要下雨.

　　(b) [I, It] seem likely to occur or to do sth undesirable 似将发生;似将做出令人不快的事: under a threatening sky 在阴沉的天空下

　　例：If a gale threatens, do not go to sea. 假若要起风, 就不要出海.

　　例：a mistake that threatens to be costly 可能造成重大损失的错误.

　　[Tn] be a threat to (sb/sth) 对(某人[某事])构成威胁: the dangers that threaten us 威胁着我们的种种危险

　　例：a species threatened by/with extinction 有灭绝之虞的物种.

　　2)threateningly

　　adv: The dog growled at me threateningly.那条狗对着我狂吠, 很吓人.