threatening
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threatening
Describes something that represents a danger or threat and therefore causes fear or concern; seeming dangerous or frightening.
Die dunklen Wolken am Horizont wirkten sehr bedrohlich.
The dark clouds on the horizon looked very threatening.
The adjective 'bedrohlich' (threatening) is derived from the verb 'bedrohen' (to threaten). The ending '-lich' means 'like' or 'having the quality of something'. So 'bedrohlich' describes something that has the quality of threatening.
Der große Hund bellte, aber er wollte niemanden bedrohen.
The large dog barked, but it didn't want to threaten anyone.
'Bedrohlich' (threatening) is often used for situations, atmospheres, or natural phenomena. Typical combinations are 'eine bedrohliche Stille' (a threatening silence), 'bedrohliche Wolken' (threatening clouds), 'eine bedrohliche Lage' (a threatening situation), or 'bedrohlich nahe kommen' (to come threateningly close).
Vor dem Sturm herrschte eine bedrohliche Stille.
Before the storm, there was a threatening silence.
The adjective is frequently combined with verbs of perception such as 'wirken' (to seem), 'aussehen' (to look), or 'klingen' (to sound) in order to describe an impression. The pattern is often: 'Etwas wirkt/sieht bedrohlich aus.' (Something seems/looks threatening.)
Die Lage im Krisengebiet wirkt zunehmend bedrohlich.
The situation in the crisis area seems increasingly threatening.
dangerous
Gefährlich and bedrohlich can both point to possible harm. Gefährlich mainly describes the actual potential for harm. Bedrohlich emphasizes more strongly that something seems like an approaching danger or threat and therefore causes fear, without the danger necessarily being certain.
Der knurrende Hund wirkt bedrohlich, obwohl er hinter einem festen Zaun steht.
The growling dog seems threatening even though it is behind a sturdy fence.
Der frei laufende Hund ist gefährlich, weil er bereits einen Spaziergänger gebissen hat.
The dog running loose is dangerous because it has already bitten a passerby.
