| Main Entry: | threaten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | warn, pressure |
Synonyms: |
abuse, admonish, augur, blackmail, bluster, browbeat, bully, caution, comminate, cow, enforce, flex muscles, forebode, forewarn, fulminate, growl, intimidate, look daggers, make threat, menace, portend, presage, pressurize, push around, scare, scowl, shake fist at, snarl, spook, terrorize, torment, walk heavy |
Antonyms: |
alleviate, help, protect, relieve |
| Main Entry: | threaten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | endanger |
Synonyms: |
advance, approach, be dangerous, be gathering, be imminent, be in the air, be in the offing, be on the horizon, brewing, come on, forebode, foreshadow, frighten, hang over, impend, imperil, jeopardize, loom, overhang, portend, presage, put at risk, put in jeopardy, warn |
Antonyms: |
guard, protect, save |
| Main Entry: | approach |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | come nearer |
Synonyms: |
advance, approximate, be comparable to, be like, bear, belly up to, border, buzz*, catch up, close in, come, come at, come close, compare with, contact, converge, correspond to, creep up, draw near, equal, gain on, go toward, impend, loom up, match, meet, move in on, move toward, near, progress, reach, resemble, surround, take after, threaten, verge upon |
Antonyms: |
depart, distance, go away, leave |
| Main Entry: | blackmail |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | intimidating for money |
Synonyms: |
badger, bleed, coerce, compel, demand, exact, extort, force, hold to ransom, milk, put the shake on, ransom, shake down, shake*, squeeze*, threaten |
| Main Entry: | brandish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | flaunt, swing around |
Synonyms: |
come on strong, display, disport, exhibit, expose, flash, gesture, parade, raise, shake, show, show off, sport, swing, threaten, throw weight around, trot out, warn, wield |
Antonyms: |
not show |
| Main Entry: | browbeat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | castigate, nag |
Synonyms: |
badger, bludgeon, bluster, bulldoze, bully, coerce, cow, despotize, domineer, dragoon, frighten, harass, hector, intimidate, lean on, lord it over, oppress, overawe, overbear, put heat on, put the chill on, put through the wringer, threaten, tyrannize |
Antonyms: |
boost, coax, compliment, praise |
| Main Entry: | bully |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | intimidate, push around |
Synonyms: |
bludgeon, bluster, browbeat, buffalo, bulldoze, coerce, cow, despotize, domineer, dragoon, enforce, harass, hector, lean on, menace, oppress, overbear, persecute, ride roughshod, showboat, swagger, terrorize, threaten, torment, torture, turn on the heat, tyrannize, walk heavy |
Antonyms: |
allow, leave alone |
| Main Entry: | coerce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | compel, press |
Synonyms: |
beset, browbeat, bulldoze, bully, concuss, constrain, cow, dragoon, drive, force, high pressure, hinder, impel, intimidate, lean on, make, make an offer they can't refuse, menace, oblige, pressurize, push, put the squeeze on, repress, restrict, shotgun, strong-arm, suppress, terrorize, threaten, twist one's arm, urge |
Antonyms: |
leave alone |
| Main Entry: | dare |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | challenge, defy someone |
Synonyms: |
beard, brave, bully, call one's bluff, confront, cope, denounce, disregard, face, face off, front, goad, insult, knock chip off shoulder, laugh at, make my day, meet, mock, muster courage, oppose, outdare, provoke, resist, run the gauntlet, scorn, spurn, square off, step over the line, take one on, taunt, threaten, throw down gauntlet |
| Main Entry: | denounce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | condemn, attack |
Synonyms: |
accuse, adjudicate, arraign, blacklist, blame, boycott, brand, castigate, censure, charge, charge with, criticize, damn, declaim, decry, denunciate, derogate, dress down, excoriate, expose, finger*, hang something on, impeach, implicate, impugn, incriminate, indict, inveigh against, knock, ostracize, proscribe, prosecute, rap, rat, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprobate, reprove, revile, scold, show up, skin*, smear, stigmatize, take to task, threaten, upbraid, vilify, vituperate |
Antonyms: |
approve, commend, compliment, praise |