1
be threatening
表示状态或外观令人感到威胁。
The storm clouds were threatening.
暴风云来势汹汹。
构成威胁的；危险的
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
构成威胁的；危险的
likely to cause harm; dangerous
The storm clouds were threatening.
暴风云来势汹汹。
构成威胁的,可能造成伤害的。
Presenting a threat, posing a likely risk of harm.
进行威胁的,声称愿意造成伤害的。
Making threats, making statements about a willingness to cause harm.
The dark clouds looked threatening, so we decided to stay indoors.
乌云看起来很吓人，所以我们决定待在室内。
He received a threatening letter demanding money.
他收到一封索要钱财的恐吓信。
Her tone became threatening when she warned us to leave.
她警告我们离开时，语气变得带有威胁。
表示状态或外观令人感到威胁。
The storm clouds were threatening.
暴风云来势汹汹。
表达主观感受。
She found his tone threatening.
她觉得他的语气带有威胁。
后接介词to，表示对某人或某物有威胁。
The situation was threatening to the villagers.
这种局势对村民构成了威胁。
常修饰行为、语气等名词。
He spoke in a threatening manner.
他以威胁的方式说话。
Not this
The storm looks very threatened.
Use this
The storm looks very threatening.
“threatened”意为“受到威胁的”，而“threatening”表示“威胁性的”。此处描述风暴本身具有威胁性，应用形容词“threatening”，避免与过去分词混淆。
Not this
He made a threat gesture.
Use this
He made a threatening gesture.
“threat”是名词，不可直接修饰名词“gesture”；应使用形容词“threatening”作定语，意为“威胁性的手势”。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
威胁性行为
His threatening behavior alarmed the neighbors.
他的威胁性行为让邻居们感到不安。
恐吓信
The company received a threatening letter demanding money.
该公司收到一封索要钱财的恐吓信。
恐吓电话
She reported the threatening phone calls to the police.
她向警方报案了那些恐吓电话。
威胁的语气
He spoke in a threatening tone, and everyone fell silent.
他用威胁的语气说话，大家都安静下来。
预示着暴风雨的乌云
Dark threatening clouds gathered over the mountain.
阴沉的乌云在山上空聚集。
你是在威胁我吗，安德森先生？
The sky looked threatening, so we decided to stay home.
天空看上去很吓人，像是要下暴风雨，所以我们决定待在家里。
发短 /ɛ/ 音 (如 head, bread)
Use threatening naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
threat 本义是“威胁”，加上 -ening 就像乌云压顶、危险正在逼近，让人感到阴沉不安。
语域：neutral 常见场景：news reports、official warnings、daily conversation 该词为中性偏正式，在正式和非正式场合都比较常见；通常用来描述人或事物带来威胁或令人不安，也多见于书面警告和新闻报道中。日常口语中使用不算生硬，但语气相对严肃。
真正与 threatening /ˈθrɛt.nɪŋ/ 同韵的是 unthreatening /ˌʌnˈθrɛt.nɪŋ/。frightening、brightening、whitening、heightening、straightening 拼写都以 -tening 结尾，但重读元音分别为 /aɪ/ 或 /eɪ/，与 threatening 的 /ɛ/ 不同，所以并不押韵。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.
Watch the sound change