1
general::
threat
verbs
make/issue a threat
• Neighbours say that they heard Gardiner make threats against his wife.
carry out a threat
(= do what you threatened to do )
• She ought to have carried out her threat to go to the police.
give in to a threat
(= do what something wants you to do after they threaten you )
• The government is not going to give in to terrorist threats.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + threat
a death threat
(= a threat to kill someone )
• Scientists involved in the research have received death threats.
a bomb threat
• The station was closed because of a bomb threat.
an empty/idle threat
(= one that is not sincere )
• She was not a woman to make idle threats.
a veiled threat
(= one that is not made directly )
• The emails contained thinly veiled threats of harm.
threat 2
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + threat
a serious/major threat
• Bad air quality poses a serious threat to public health.
the greatest/biggest threat
• The greatest threat to our planet is global warming.
a real threat
• These measures pose a real threat to the future of agriculture.
a potential threat
• The group remains a potential threat to the regime.
an immediate threat
(= the possibility that something bad will happen very soon )
• The volcano erupted on Thursday but there is no immediate threat to nearby towns.
a direct threat
• The workers destroyed the textile machinery which they saw as a direct threat to their jobs.
a military threat
• Each country regarded the other as a major military threat.
a terrorist threat
• U.S. officials underestimated the terrorist threat before the June 25 bombing.
verbs
pose/present a threat
• The rebels do not pose a serious threat to the armed forces.
represent a threat
• He is not afraid, because you represent no threat to him.
counter/combat a threat
• We must work together to counter the threat of state terrorism.
face a threat
(= likely to be affected by something )
• The factory is facing the threat of closure.
meet a threat
(= deal with it )
• We must transform our armed forces to meet emerging threats.
transnet.ir
2
general::
noun expression of intention to do harm/punish ADJ. dire, terrible Despite dire threats of violence from extremist groups, the protest passed off peacefully. | empty, idle The kids took no notice of the teacher's idle threats. | implied, veiled The company's pay offer was accompanied by thinly-veiled threats of redundancies if it was rejected. | explicit | physical, violent | verbal | bomb, death, suicide VERB + THREAT issue, make, utter | receive | carry out It's unwise to make threats that you cannot carry out. | lift, withdraw Teachers have lifted their threat of strike action. | reduce | give in to The government refused to give in to the hijackers' threats. PREP. ~ against The accused made death threats against a notable politician. possible danger ADJ. big, considerable, dangerous, deadly, grave, great, major, real, serious, significant | main | growing, increasing | constant, continual, continuous, ever-present, permanent | renewed The national park is under renewed threat from road-building schemes. | direct, immediate, imminent The opposition presents no immediate threat to the government. | insidious | long-term, short-term | potential | apparent, perceived | external The government was faced with internal rebellion as well as external threats. | physical | political | environmental | military, nuclear, terrorist VERB + THREAT be, pose, present, represent the environmental threat posed by oil spillages | consider sth (as), perceive sth as, regard sth as, see sth as, view sth as Translators do not yet perceive computers as a threat to their livelihood. | face, meet PREP. under ~ Many wild plants are under threat of extinction. | ~ from the threat from overfishing | ~ of a threat of violence | ~ to The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary