menace
[ men-is ]
/ ˈmɛn ɪs /
noun
something that threatens to cause evil, harm, injury, etc.; a threat: Air pollution is a menace to health.
a person whose actions, attitudes, or ideas are considered dangerous or harmful: When he gets behind the wheel of a car, he's a real menace.
an extremely annoying person.
verb (used with object), men·aced, men·ac·ing.
to utter or direct a threat against; threaten.
to serve as a probable threat to; imperil.
verb (used without object), men·aced, men·ac·ing.
to express or serve as a threat.
Origin of menace
1250–1300; Middle English < Middle French < Latin
minācia, equivalent to
mināc- (stem of
mināx) jutting out, threatening +
-ia
-ia
OTHER WORDS FROM menace
Words nearby menace
men's,
men's room,
men's wear,
men-,
men-children,
menace,
menacme,
menad,
menadiol diacetate,
menadione,
menado
Example sentences from the Web for menace
British Dictionary definitions for menace
menace
/ (ˈmɛnɪs) /
verb
to threaten with violence, danger, etc
noun
literary
a threat or the act of threatening
something menacing; a source of danger
informal
a nuisance
Derived forms of menace
menacer, noun menacing, adjective menacingly, adverbWord Origin for menace
C13: ultimately related to Latin
minax threatening, from
mināri to threaten