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Added 9 October 2026

menace

/ˈmɛnɪs/ noun

Latin root: minācia Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about menace at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Something that is a source of danger.
earthquakes are a constant threat in Japan
A threat or the act of threatening.
he spoke with desperate menace

verb

Pose a threat to; present a danger to.
The pollution is endangering the crops
Express a threat either by an utterance or a gesture.
he menaced the bank manager with a stick
Act in a threatening manner.
A menacing person

Origin

From Middle English manace, from Old French manace, menace, &c., from Late Latin minācia (“threat, menace”), from Latin mināx (“threatening”) + -ia (suffix forming abstract nouns).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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