menacing

adjective

men·​ac·​ing ˈme-nə-siŋ How to pronounce menacing (audio)
: presenting, suggesting, or constituting a menace or threat : threatening
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

Examples of menacing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First, Lamar looked directly into the camera and cracked a wide, menacing grin while mentioning Drake’s name outright, instantly creating a meme format. Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 10 Feb. 2025 However, only one school draws that menacing task twice: West Virginia. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2025 Jack Knowles’s lights slice through the haze at menacing, noirish angles, and video designers Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom keep towering, lurid live-feed images of the casts’ faces constantly looming. Vulture Editors, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025 Police say he’s also been charged with kidnapping, extortion, and menacing. Michael Dorgan, Fox News, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for menacing 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near menacing

Cite this Entry

“Menacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menacing. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

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