menacing

[ men-i-sing ]

adjective

1. expressing or serving as a menace or threat: menacing language.

   his menacing glare;

   menacing language.

Other Words From

• menac·ing·ly adverb
• non·menac·ing adjective
• un·menac·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of menacing¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; menace ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Synonym Study

See ominous.

Example Sentences

While he was as menacing as ever in his interview with BBC Sport, Tyson was breathing heavily throughout.

From BBC

They treated it all like some terrible board game when they should have been sounding the alarms and giving the most menacing threat in American history the editorial weight it deserved.

From Salon

She said he was menacing and angry, and he shouted at her that the path was for pedestrians only.

From BBC

Several people were injured in an accident on California 99, and Pacific Gas & Electric reported outages for about 15,000 Fresno county residents as abnormally high winds kicked dust up into a menacing cloud.

From Los Angeles Times

The woman remembered how, on the night of the kidnapping, she had encountered a strange, menacing trespasser whose Pinto was stuck in a ditch.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• alarming
• dangerous
• frightening
• threatening