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Opportunity vs Threat - What's the difference?

opportunity | threat |

As nouns the difference between opportunity and threat

is that opportunity is a chance for advancement, progress or profit while threat is an expression of intent to injure or punish another.

As a verb threat is

(label) to press; urge; compel.

opportunity

English

(wikipedia opportunity)

Noun

(opportunities)
  • A chance for advancement, progress or profit.
    • Having a holiday is a great opportunity to relax.
    I wanted to become a professional, but because of my financial situation there were no opportunities .
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 23 , author=Becky Ashton , title=QPR 1 - 0 Chelsea , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Chelsea also struggled to keep possession as QPR harried and chased at every opportunity , giving their opponents no time on the ball.}}
  • A favorable circumstance or occasion.

    • Derived terms

    * business opportunity * the ladder of opportunity * Land of Opportunity * equal opportunity * photo opportunity * opportunity cost * when opportunity knocks

    Related terms

    * opportune * opportunist * opportunistic * opportunism

    Statistics

    *

    External links

    * *

    threat

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), (m), (m), .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An expression of intent to injure or punish another.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
    • There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats .
  • An indication of imminent danger.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Katrina G. Claw
    • , title= Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm , volume=101, issue=3, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Many genes with reproductive roles also have antibacterial and immune functions, which indicate that the threat of microbial attack on the sperm or egg may be a major influence on rapid evolution during reproduction.}}
  • A person or object that is regarded as a danger; a menace.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 2, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC
    • , title= Bulgaria 0-3 England , passage=Rooney's United team-mate Chris Smalling was given his debut at right-back and was able to adjust to the international stage in relatively relaxed fashion as Bulgaria barely posed a threat of any consequence.}}
    Related terms
    * threaten * threatening

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (label) To press; urge; compel.
  • (archaic) To threaten.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , I.vii:
    • An hideous Geant horrible and hye, / That with his talnesse seemd to threat the skye
  • * 1599 , , V. i. 37:
    • O yes, and soundless too; / For you have stolen their buzzing, Antony, / And very wisely threat before you sting.
  • (label) To use threats; act or speak menacingly; threaten.

    • Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words