menace

[ men-is ]

noun

1. something that threatens to cause evil, harm, injury, etc.; a threat:

   Air pollution is a menace to health.

2. a person whose actions, attitudes, or ideas are considered dangerous or harmful:

   When he gets behind the wheel of a car, he's a real menace.

3. an extremely annoying person.

verb (used with object)

, men·aced, men·ac·ing.

1. to utter or direct a threat against; threaten.
2. to serve as a probable threat to; imperil:

   overdevelopment that menaces our suburbs.

verb (used without object)

, men·aced, men·ac·ing.

1. to express or serve as a threat.

menace

/ ˈmɛnɪs /

verb

1. to threaten with violence, danger, etc

noun

1. literary.
   a threat or the act of threatening
2. something menacing; a source of danger
3. informal.
   a nuisance

Derived Forms

• ˈmenacing, adjective
• ˈmenacingly, adverb
• ˈmenacer, noun

Other Words From

• menac·er noun
• pre·menace noun verb (used with object) premenaced premenacing
• un·menaced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of menace¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English manace, manance, from Middle French manace, menace, from Late Latin minācia “threat,” equivalent to mināc- (stem of mināx ) “jutting out, threatening” + -ia; verb from noun; -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of menace¹

C13: ultimately related to Latin minax threatening, from mināri to threaten

Example Sentences

The large cast contains so many magnificent voices that I would love to report in detail about the performers who in “Four Black Dragons” vividly chronicle the growing military menace.

From Los Angeles Times

These Trumpists, like the much larger mass of them in all parts of the United States, radiated entitlement and menace.

From Salon

It will be up to women, again, to save America from this glowering fascist menace.

From Salon

To hear police and locals tell it, Halloween in Hollywood two decades ago was out of control, with revelers routinely spraying and damaging property with a product deemed such a menace it has since been seasonally outlawed: Silly String.

From Los Angeles Times

But they should be dumping a fortune on ads that show Harris saluting troops, backgrounded by the fluttering Stars and Stripes, and ringed by generals and former national security officials calling Trump a disgrace and a menace to American security, honor and pre-eminence.

From Salon

Related Words

• endanger
• imperil
• intimidate
• jeopardize
• terrorize
• threaten