threat
/θret/noun
1
- a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not done威胁：
members of her family have received death threat.
她的家人收到了死亡威胁。
1.1
- Law a menace of bodily harm, such as may restrain a person's freedom of action【律】恐吓, 威胁。
2
- a person or thing likely to cause damage or danger构成威胁的人（或事物）：
hurricane damage poses a major threat to many coastal communities.
飓风灾害对许多沿岸的社区构成主要威胁。
2.1
- in sing. the possibility of trouble, danger, or ruin凶兆; 征兆：
the company faces the threat of liquidation proceedings
公司有可能面临着清算
mass noun thousands of rail freight jobs came under threat.几千个铁路货运工作受到威胁。
词源
Old English thrēat 'oppression'， of Germanic origin; related to Dutch verdrieten 'grieve'， German verdriessen 'irritate'.