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Synonyms
menace
- 8 dictionary resultsmen⋅ace
[men-is] 
noun, verb, -aced, -ac⋅ing.–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)
| 4. | to utter or direct a threat against; threaten. |
| 5. | to serve as a probable threat to; imperil. |
–verb (used without object)
| 6. | to express or serve as a threat. |
Origin:
1250–1300; ME < MF < L minācia, equiv. to mināc- (s. of mināx) jutting out, threatening + -ia -ia
1250–1300; ME < MF < L minācia, equiv. to mināc- (s. of mināx) jutting out, threatening + -ia -ia
Related forms:
men⋅ac⋅er, noun
men⋅ac⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To menace
| men·ace (měn'ĭs) n.
v. tr.
To make threats. [Middle English, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *minācia, sing. of Latin mināciae, threats, menaces, from mināx, mināc-, threatening, from minārī, to threaten, from minae, threats; see men-2 in Indo-European roots.] men'ac·er n., men'ac·ing·ly adv. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Menace
Men"ace\, n. [F., fr. L. minaciae threats, menaces, fr. minax, -acis, projecting, threatening, minae projecting points or pinnacles, threats. Cf. Amenable, Demean, Imminent, Minatory.] The show of an intention to inflict evil; a threat or threatening; indication of a probable evil or catastrophe to come. His (the pope's) commands, his rebukes, his menaces. --Milman. The dark menace of the distant war. --Dryden.Menace
Men"ace\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Menaced ([=a]st); p. pr. & vb. n. Menacing.] [OF. menacier, F. menacer. See Menace, n.]1. To express or show an intention to inflict, or to hold out a prospect of inflicting, evil or injury upon; to threaten; -- usually followed by with before the harm threatened; as, to menace a country with war. My master . . . did menace me with death. --Shak. 2. To threaten, as an evil to be inflicted. By oath he menaced Revenge upon the cardinal. --Shak.Menace
Men"ace\, v. i. To act in threatening manner; to wear a threatening aspect. Who ever knew the heavens menace so? --Shak.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : menace
Spanish:
amenaza, peligro,
German:
die Bedrohung,
Japanese:
脅威
menace (n.)
c.1300, "declaration of hostile intent," also "act of threatening," from O.Fr. menace, from V.L. minacia "threat, menace," sing. of L. minaciæ "threatening things," from minax (gen. minacis) "threatening," from minari "threaten, jut, project," from minæ "threats, projecting points." Applied to persons from 1936. The verb is attested from 1303.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: men·ace
Pronunciation: 'me-n&s
Function: noun
1 : a show of an intention to inflict esp. physical harm
2 : one who represents a threat
Main Entry: menace
Function: verb
Inflected Forms: men·aced; men·ac·ing transitive verb
1 : to make a show of intention to harm
2 : to represent or pose a threat to intransitive verb : to act in a threatening manner —men·ac·ing·ly adverb
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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