THREATEN1 to threaten someone2 to threaten someone in order to get money from them3 behaving in a threatening way4 something you say or write in order to threaten someone5 actions that threaten someoneRELATED WORDSlikely to harm someone 很可能会伤害某人DANGEROUSsee alsoFORCE SB TO DO STHVIOLENTATTACKWARNFRIGHTENED/FRIGHTENING1 to threaten someone 威胁某人threaten /ˈθretn/ [transitive verb]to tell someone that you will hurt them or cause serious problems for them if they do not do what you want 威胁，恐吓，恫吓 Then he started threatening me and saying that my family might get hurt. 然后他开始威胁我，说我的家人可能受到伤害。threaten to do something When they found out he was an American, the soldiers threatened to kill him. 当那些士兵发觉他是美国人后，就威胁说要杀死他。 Every time we have a quarrel, she threatens to leave me. 我们每次吵架时，她都威胁说要离开我。threaten somebody with a knife/gun etc After threatening the manager with a knife, he stole £300 and ran off. 他用刀指吓经理，拿了300英镑后逃跑了。threaten somebody with violence/jail/legal action etcsay you will hurt someone, put them in prison etc 以暴力/入狱/法律行动等威胁某人 I was threatened with jail if I published the story. 我受到威胁说，如果我把这件事刊登出来，就把我投入监狱。intimidate /ɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt, ɪnˈtɪmədeɪt/ [transitive verb]to try to make someone do what you want by making them feel afraid 恫吓，恐吓，威吓 He's being kept in jail until the trial so that he can't intimidate any of the witnesses. 开庭审讯前他会被一直关在监狱里，这样他就无法恐吓证人了。 The boss is quite tough, but don't let him intimidate you. 老板很强硬，但别让他威吓你。intimidate somebody into doing something Some workers are saying that they were intimidated into accepting the pay cuts, with threats of job losses. 一些工人说他们受到开除的威胁，被迫接受了削减工资。intimidating [adjective] He found the interviewers’ manner aggressive and intimidating. 他觉得面试者的态度咄咄逼人，令人紧张不安。warn somebody off /ˌwɔːʳn somebody ˈɒf/ [transitive phrasal verb]to try to make someone stay away from somewhere or stop doing something by warning or threatening them 警告某人不要接近某地；警告某人停止做某事 Journalists trying to investigate the scandal were warned off by the FBI. 想对这宗丑闻进行调查的记者们受到了美国联邦调查局的阻挠。warn somebody off something The old man warned them off his land. 老人警告他们别踏进他的地界。warn somebody off doing something Joanna's brothers had warned him off seeing her again. 乔安娜的兄弟们警告他别再见她。hold somebody to ransom /ˌhəʊld somebody tə ˈrænsəm/ [verb phrase]Britishto force a group, organization, or government to give you what you want by threatening to cause political or financial difficulties if they do not 【英】要挟〔团体、组织或政府〕 What gives cheaper fuel campaigners the right to hold the country to ransom? 那些争取廉价燃油的人有什么权利要挟国家？ The president said that the company would not be held to ransom by strikes. 总裁说公司不会被罢工者要挟。make/issue threats /ˌmeɪk, ˌɪʃuː ˈθrets/ [verb phrase]to repeatedly threaten to harm someone 一再威胁〔要伤害某人〕 He wanted more money and over the next few weeks made further threats. 他想要更多的钱，于是在接下来的几星期里作出了进一步的威胁。make/issue threats about It's a waste of time issuing vague threats about imposing sanctions -- we should send in the army. 一再含糊其辞地威胁要实施制裁是在浪费时间—我们应该派军队去。make/issue threats against Threats have been made against the judge who is investigating the case. 调查该案件的法官一再遭到恐吓。get at/get to/nobble /ˈget æt, ˈget tuː , ˈnɒbəlǁˈnɑː-/ [transitive phrasal verb transitive/phrasal verb transitive/verb usually in passive]informalto threaten witnesses, judges, or other people involved in a court case in order to influence the court's decision 【非正式】要挟，恐吓〔证人、法官或法庭案件中的其他人以影响审判结果〕 The trial had to be abandoned when it was discovered that jury members had been got at by the Mafia. 当发现陪审团成员遭到黑手党恐吓之后，不得不终止审讯。 He didn't like the idea that he had been nobbled, especially by a woman. 他不愿想到自己被人要挟，尤其是被女人要挟。 When the police questioned Davis, it was clear someone else had gotten to him first. 警方在审问戴维斯的时候，发现他显然已被人要挟住了。under duress /ˌʌndəʳ djʊˈresǁ-dʊ-/ [adverb]formalachieved by using unfair threats to force someone to admit something or give something to someone 【正式】在威逼下，在胁迫下 The confession had been obtained under duress, and therefore could not be allowed as evidence. 这份供词是在胁迫下取得的，因此不能作为证据。 In her defence, the accused said that she had been acting under duress when she took the money. 被告在辩护词中说，她拿钱的举动是在威逼之下做出的。2 to threaten someone in order to get money from them 为了从某人那里得到钱而对其进行威胁blackmail /ˈblækmeɪl/ [transitive verb]to force someone to give you money or do what you want, by threatening to tell people about something that they want to keep secret 敲诈；勒索；讹诈 You cannot blackmail a man who has nothing to hide. 对没有秘密要隐瞒的人是无法进行讹诈的。 The priest was being blackmailed by a woman who said he was the father of her child. 牧师被一个女人敲诈，说牧师是她孩子的父亲。blackmail somebody into (doing) something She had tried to use the photographs to blackmail him into marrying her. 她想用这些照片要挟他，迫使他娶她。 We will not be blackmailed into silence. 我们决不会因受到威胁而保持沉默。blackmail [uncountable noun] Bates got a 5-year jail sentence for blackmail. 贝茨因讹诈被判入狱五年。 ‘If you don't give me the money, I'm going to tell your wife.’ ‘This is blackmail!’ “如果你不给我钱，我就告诉你的妻子。”“这是敲诈！”extort /ɪkˈstɔːʳt/ [transitive verb]to get money from someone by threatening them 敲诈；勒索〔钱财〕 He sought to extort money by threatening to reveal secrets about his boss's private life. 他威胁要把老板的私生活曝光，企图勒索钱财。extort something from somebody For years the gang extorted money from local storekeepers. 多年来这伙流氓一直向当地的店主勒索钱财。extortion /ɪkˈstɔːʳʃən/ [uncountable noun]the crime of extorting money 敲诈；勒索 The defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion. 被告承认两项勒索罪。3 behaving in a threatening way 行为具有威胁性的threatening /ˈθretnɪŋ/ [adjective]threatening words or behaviour are intended to make someone feel afraid, so that they do what you want 〔言行〕具威胁性的，恐吓的 ‘You listen to me!’ he said in a threatening voice. “你给我听好了！”他用威胁的口气说道。 He was arrested for threatening behaviour and using abusive language. 他因行为带有威胁性并使用辱骂性语言被拘捕。threatening letter/phone call Before the attack I'd received several threatening phone calls. 遭袭击前，我曾接到过好几个恐吓电话。menacing /ˈmenɪsɪŋ, ˈmenəsɪŋ/ [adjective]making you feel frightened, especially in a quiet way and even though nothing violent is actually said or done 威胁的；威吓的〔尽管没有暴力的言行〕 One of the guards gave a low, menacing laugh. 其中一个警卫发出了一声低沉威吓的笑声。 There was something strange and rather menacing about the way she spoke. 她说话的方式有点奇怪，且相当具威胁性。menacingly [adverb] The teacher towered menacingly above him. 老师居高临下地对着他，叫他害怕。4 something you say or write in order to threaten someone 为了威胁某人而说出或写下的话threat /θret/ [countable noun]when you tell someone that you will hurt them or cause serious problems for them if they do not do what you want 威胁，恐吓 I'm prepared to listen to him, but I'm not going to respond to threats. 我准备听他说，但不会去理会他的威胁。make threats He denied making threats to kill her. 他否认曾恐吓要杀死她。receive a threat Immigrant families in the area have received threats from right-wing extremist groups. 该地区的移民家庭受到了右翼极端组织的恐吓。death threatwhen someone threatens to kill you 死亡恐吓 She claims she received anonymous death threats after she gave evidence in the trial. 她说自从她在审讯中作证后，就收到了匿名的死亡恐吓。carry out a threatdo what you threatened to do 把威胁付诸行动 He showed no sign of carrying out his threat of making them pay. 他并没有把要他们付钱的威胁付诸行动。ultimatum /ˌʌltɪˈmeɪtəm, ˌʌltəˈmeɪtəm/ [countable noun]a final, often official, warning that unless someone does something you will punish or attack them 最后通牒give somebody an ultimatum She's ignored all my previous warnings about being late for work, so I've decided to give her an ultimatum. 她一直无视我要她上班不要迟到的警告，因此我决定给她下个最后通牒。issue an ultimatum The hijackers have issued an ultimatum -- either the government releases the prisoners or the plane will be blown up. 劫机者发出了最后通牒——政府如果不释放囚犯，他们就炸毁飞机。5 actions that threaten someone 威胁某人的行为intimidation /ɪnˌtɪmɪˈdeɪʃən, ɪnˌtɪməˈdeɪʃən/ [uncountable noun]when you try to make someone do what you want by making them feel afraid 威胁，恐吓，恫吓 Hoskins used intimidation and violence to get money from local restaurant owners. 霍斯金斯使用恐吓和暴力向当地的餐馆老板勒索金钱。 The killings are part of a campaign of intimidation against opposition supporters. 这些谋杀事件是针对反对派支持者的恐吓活动的一部分。menace /ˈmenɪs, ˈmenəs/ [uncountable noun]a way of behaving or speaking that makes people think that you are threatening them, even though you do not actually say or do anything violent 威胁，威吓〔尽管没有确实说或实施暴力行为〕 His voice was soft but his tone and expression were full of menace. 他的嗓音柔和，但语调和神情却充满了威胁。 Her manner suddenly changed from friendliness and warmth to one of faint menace. 她友好热情的态度突然变得略带威胁。threatening behaviour /ˌθretnɪŋ bɪˈheɪvjəʳ/ [uncountable noun]Britishthe criminal offence of behaving in a threatening way towards someone - use this in legal contexts 【英】威胁行为〔法律用语〕 He was charged with being drunk and disorderly and using threatening behaviour. 他因酒醉后扰乱治安并做出威胁行为被起诉。