threateningly
threateningly — adverb
1. Describing behaviour or words that show you mean to harm, punish, or cause troub
Describing behaviour or words that show you mean to harm, punish, or cause trouble for someone — or that warn them something bad is coming.
The dog growled threateningly at Putri when she stepped near the food bowl.
growled + threateningly — animal aggression
Gabriel raised his fist threateningly during the argument on the basketball court.
raised his fist + threateningly — physical gesture
Dark clouds gathered threateningly above the village just before the storm hit.
Jabari’s supervisor spoke threateningly about cutting his pay if sales did not improve.
A group of teenagers stood threateningly outside the shop, keeping customers away.
- menacingly
Very close in meaning; more often used for physical intimidation or aggressive body language.
- ominously
Suggests a sense of impending danger rather than a direct human threat; more common for situations, weather, or objects.
- hostilely
Focuses on unfriendly or aggressive attitude rather than an explicit warning of harm.
- reassuringly
In a way that calms someone’s fears and makes them feel safe.
用法筆記
Typically modifies verbs describing speech (spoke, said, warned), physical actions (stepped, stood, raised), or natural phenomena (gathered, loomed). Common in narrative writing and descriptions of conflict.