menacing

1 of 2

adjective

men·ac·ing ˈme-nə-siŋ

Synonyms of menacing

: presenting, suggesting, or constituting a menace or threat : threatening entry 1

a menacing look

menacing words

[Harold E. Edgerton] … was also one of the first to take photographs of the menacing mushroom cloud emanating from a nuclear blast.—Benjamin Genocchio

Ransomware is a menacing scam that involves locking businesses out of their computers and demanding payment of a ransom in exchange for the return of company systems and data.—Roger Williams

The image is chilling: a series of menacing bear traps laid out like footsteps.—Emily DeNitto

menacingly adverb

A man stepped menacingly from the corner brandishing a long pole … —Elizabeth George Speare

"If you shout his name I will curse you into oblivion," muttered Tonks menacingly … —J. K. Rowling

menacing

2 of 2

present participle of menace entry 2

Examples of menacing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Adjective

His friends and family received a barrage of menacing threats. — Todd Wallack, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026 On one, Basquiat made the figure menacing, with glowing red eyes, while another iteration appears almost nervous. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 The house offered symbolically fitting elements to the book‘s story and close proximity to the water, while also offering both a menacing and calm aura. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026 Similarly, the interplay enacted in the exhibition between Jafa’s and Prince’s work forces us as visitors to actively participate in a practice of juxtapositional thinking ourselves, producing a momentum that is at once menacing and enlivening. — Tina M. Campt, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for menacing

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of menacing was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Browse Nearby Words

menace

menacing

menad

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Menacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menacing. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

menacing

adjective

Examples of menacing in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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