menacing Hear it!

Variant of menace

menace Definition

men·ace (men′əs)

noun

  1. a threat or the act of threatening
  2. anything threatening harm or evil
  3. Informal a person who is a nuisance

Etymology: OFr < L minacia < minax (gen. minacis), projecting, threatening < minari, to threaten < minae, threats, orig. projecting points of walls < IE base *men-, to project > Cornish meneth, mountain

transitive verb, intransitive verb menaced -·aced, menacing -·ac·ing

to threaten or be a danger (to)

Related Forms:

menacing Synonyms

menacing

modif.

approaching, impending, threatening; see imminent, ominous.

menacing Law Definition

n

An attempt to commit an assault.
menacing Usage Examples

Object

  • tone: They have the menacing tone of an unknown quantity.
  • cloud: The heat from the living mass rose in waves of steam and drifted up into the menacing clouds.
  • shadow: Then, the deep menacing shadow of huge cliffs swallows mine.
  • character: Without Goldfinger or some other suitably menacing character, James Bond would be deadly dull.
  • atmosphere: But in the stifling, menacing atmosphere in which Melanie finds herself there is another dark, unspoken theme.

Browse dictionary entries near menacing

  1. ‹ menaced
  2. ‹ menace
  3. ‹ -men
  4. ‹ men's wear
  5. ‹ men's room
  6. ‹ men-of-war
  7. ‹ Menéndez de Avilés
  8. ‹ men-children
  9. ‹ men-at-arms
  10. ‹ men
  1. menacingly ›
  2. menad ›
  3. menadione ›
  4. Menado ›
  5. menage ›
  6. menagerie ›
  7. Menai Strait ›
  8. Menam ›
  9. Menander ›
  10. menarche ›