What does "menace" mean?
A perceived threat or danger.
Menace
/ˈmɛnɪs/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A perceived threat or danger.
- Grammar: menace is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: threat, abuse, adumbrate, afflict.
- Useful contrasts: friendly creature, ally, calm.
- Usage evidence: This kind of bomb is a serious menace to mankind.
How to use "menace"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "menace" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "menace" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "menace" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "menace" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "menace" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "threat" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "menace", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A perceived threat or danger.
"the dark menace of the distant war."
- 2 a threat or the act of threatening wordnet
- 3 The act of threatening.
- 4 something that is a source of danger wordnet
- 5 An annoying and bothersome person or thing. informal
Verb
- 1 To make threats against (someone); to intimidate. ambitransitive, transitive
"to menace a country with war"
- 2 act in a threatening manner wordnet
- 3 To threaten (an evil to be inflicted). ambitransitive
"Upon his browes was pourtraid vgly death, And in his eies the furies of his heart, That ſhine as Comets, menacing reueng, And caſts a pale complexion on his cheeks."
- 4 express a threat either by an utterance or a gesture wordnet
- 5 To endanger (someone or something); to imperil or jeopardize. ambitransitive
Show 1 more definition
- 6 pose a threat to; present a danger to wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"This kind of bomb is a serious menace to mankind."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "menace"?
Common synonyms include: threat, abuse, adumbrate, afflict, aggrieve, alarm.
How do you use "menace" in a sentence?
This kind of bomb is a serious menace to mankind.
How do you pronounce "menace"?
Pronounced /ˈmɛnɪs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English manace, from Old French manace, menace, &c., from Late Latin minācia (“threat, menace”), from Latin mināx (“threatening”) + -ia (suffix forming abstract nouns).
Etymology 2
First attested in 1303: from Middle English manacen, from Old French menacer, manecier, manechier and Anglo-Norman manasser, from the assumed Vulgar Latin *mināciāre, from Latin minācia, whence the noun.