different between threaten vs forced

English

Etymology

From Middle English þreaten or þreten, from Old English þr?atian.

Pronunciation

• enPR: thr?t?n?, IPA^(key): /????t.n?/
• Hyphenation: threat?en

Verb

threaten (third-person singular simple present threatens, present participle threatening, simple past and past participle threatened)

1. To make a threat against someone; to use threats.

   He threatened me with a knife.

2. To menace, or be dangerous.

   The rocks threatened the ship's survival.

3. To portend, or give a warning of.

   The black clouds threatened heavy rain.

4. (figuratively) To be close to equaling or surpassing (a record, etc.)
   • 2000, Lew Freedman, Diamonds in the Rough: Baseball Stories from Alaska, ?ISBN, page 69

     The player quickly surmised that things weren't kosher and the suddenly wiser ballplayer threatened the world record for the fifty-yard dash as he sought safety. As Reynolds dived into the van, Dietz and the other players rolled with laughter.

Usage notes

• This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /f??st/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /f??st/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /fo(?)?st/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /fo?st/

Verb

forced

1. simple past tense and past participle of force

Adjective

forced (comparative more forced, superlative most forced)

1. Obtained forcefully, not naturally.

   Her forced smile was harder and harder to keep as her critical father kept on complaining about her.

2. Opened or accessed using force.

Synonyms

• forcible

Derived terms

Translations