English

Noun

menace ‎(plural menaces)

1. a perceived threat or danger.
   • Dryden

     the dark menace of the distant war.

2. the act of threatening.
3. an annoying and bothersome person.

Translations

References

• “menace, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]

Etymology 2

First attested in 1303: from the Old French menacer, manecier, manechier and the Anglo-Norman manasser, from the assumed Vulgar Latin *mināciāre, from the Latin minācia, whence the noun.

Verb

menace ‎(third-person singular simple present menaces, present participle menacing, simple past and past participle menaced) (transitive, intransitive)

1. To make threats against (someone); to intimidate.

   to menace a country with war

   • Shakespeare

     My master […] did menace me with death.

2. To threaten (an evil to be inflicted).
   • Shakespeare

     By oath he menaced / Revenge upon the cardinal.

3. To endanger (someone or something); to imperil or jeopardize.

Translations

References

• “menace, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd Ed.; 1989]

French

Etymology

From Latin minācia < minax.

Pronunciation

Noun

menace f ‎(plural menaces)

1. threat

Related terms

• menacer

Verb

menace

1. first-person singular present indicative of menacer
2. third-person singular present indicative of menacer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of menacer
4. first-person singular present subjunctive of menacer
5. second-person singular imperative of menacer