Menacing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈme-nə-siŋ/ men·ac·ing

Meaning & Definition of Menacing

Menacing (adjective)

  1. presenting, suggesting, or constituting a menace or threat, threatening

Menacing (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come

    "warns that the emergence of new viruses is one of the most menacing developments we face"

    similar: baleful, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, minatory, ominous, portentous, sinister, threatening
    related: black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dim, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich (chiefly Scottish), elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable, morbid, morose, murky, plutonian, saturnine, sepulchral, somber, sullen, sunless, tenebrific, tenebrous, wretched, discouraging, disheartening, hopeless, unfavorable, unpromising, unpropitious, ill-fated, ill-starred, star-crossed, troubled, unfortunate, unlucky, evil, malign, malignant
    opposite: unthreatening
    near: auspicious, benign, bright, encouraging, favorable, golden, heartening, hopeful, promising, propitious, prosperous

  2. involving potential loss or injury

    "fears that the unemployment rate may be reaching menacing proportions"

    similar: dangerous, grave, grievous, hazardous, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, serious, threatening, unhealthy, unsafe, venturesome
    related: dicey, insecure, precarious, treacherous, uncertain, ultrahazardous, chance, haphazard, random, distressing, sickening, unpleasant, ugly, wicked, adverse, bad, baleful, baneful, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, inimical, injurious, malignant, nasty, noxious, pernicious, pestilent, deadly, deathly, destructive, dire, fatal, fateful, fell, killer, lethal, mortal, murderous
    opposite: harmless, innocent, innocuous, nonhazardous, nonthreatening, safe, unthreatening
    near: advantageous, beneficial, good, ultrasafe

Menacing (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to place in danger

    "menaced the children by leaving them in the car unattended"

    similar: adventuring, compromising, endangering, gambling (with), hazarding, imperiling, jeoparding, jeopardizing, periling, risking, venturing
    related: intimidating, threatening, exposing, subjecting, chancing, wagering
    near: guarding, protecting, sheltering, shielding, preserving, resuming, saving

  2. to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on

    "stockpiles of nuclear weapons that continue to menace the inhabitants of this planet"

    similar: hanging (over), hovering (over), impending (over), overhanging, threatening
    related: endangering, hazarding, imperiling, jeopardizing, periling

Related Entry: Menace (verb)

Menace is a different word from Menacing. The synonyms below are for menace, not for menacing.

  1. to place in danger

    "menaced the children by leaving them in the car unattended"

    similar: adventure, compromise, endanger, gamble (with), hazard, imperil, jeopard, jeopardize, peril, risk, venture
    related: intimidate, threaten, expose, subject, chance, wager
    near: guard, protect, shelter, shield, preserve, resume, save

  2. to remain poised to inflict harm, danger, or distress on

    "stockpiles of nuclear weapons that continue to menace the inhabitants of this planet"

    similar: hang (over), hover (over), impend (over), overhang, threaten
    related: endanger, hazard, imperil, jeopardize, peril

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Menacing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Menacing:

baleful, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, minatory, ominous, portentous, sinister, threatening, dangerous, grave, grievous, hazardous, jeopardizing, parlous, perilous, risky, serious, unhealthy, unsafe, venturesome, adventuring, compromising, endangering, gambling (with), hazarding, imperiling, jeoparding, periling, risking, venturing, hanging (over), hovering (over), impending (over), overhanging

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Menacing

Words with the opposite meaning of Menacing:

unthreatening, harmless, innocent, innocuous, nonhazardous, nonthreatening, safe

Related Words for Menacing

black, bleak, cheerless, chill, Cimmerian, cloudy, cold, comfortless, dark, darkening, depressing, depressive, desolate, dim, disconsolate, dismal, drear, dreary, dreich, elegiac, forlorn, funereal, gloomy, glum, godforsaken, gray, lonely, lonesome, lugubrious, miserable

Near Antonyms of Menacing

auspicious, benign, bright, encouraging, favorable, golden, heartening, hopeful, promising, propitious, prosperous, advantageous, beneficial, good, ultrasafe, guarding, protecting, sheltering, shielding, preserving, resuming, saving

Word Forms of Menacing

Derived words: menacingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Menacing

Middle English manacyng, from present participle of manacen "to menace:2"

First known use: 15th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Menacing

What does "Menacing" mean?

"Menacing" means presenting, suggesting, or constituting a menace or threat, threatening. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: presenting, suggesting, or constituting a menace or threat, threatening. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Menacing"?

Other words for "Menacing" include baleful, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding and inauspicious. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Menacing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Menacing"?

There are 138 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Menacing". Common alternatives include baleful, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, ill, ill-boding, inauspicious, minatory and ominous.

What is the opposite of "Menacing"?

Antonyms of "Menacing" include unthreatening, harmless, innocent, innocuous, nonhazardous, nonthreatening and safe. Near antonyms include auspicious, benign, bright and encouraging.

How do you use "Menacing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Menacing" in a sentence: "warns that the emergence of new viruses is one of the most menacing developments we face"; "fears that the unemployment rate may be reaching menacing proportions"; "menaced the children by leaving them in the car unattended".

Is "Menacing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Menacing" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Menacing"?

"Menacing" is pronounced /ˈme-nə-siŋ/ and divided into syllables as men·ac·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Menacing"?

"Menacing" comes from Middle English manacyng, from present participle of manacen "to menace:2". First known use: 15th century.