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Prophesy vs Threaten - What's the difference?

prophesy | threaten |

As verbs the difference between prophesy and threaten

is that prophesy is to speak or write with divine inspiration; to act as prophet while threaten is to make a threat against someone; to use threats.

prophesy

English

Verb

(en-verb)
  • To speak or write with divine inspiration; to act as prophet.
  • To predict, to foretell.
  • * Bible, 1 Kings xxii. 8
  • He doth not prophesy good concerning me.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Then I perceive that will be verified / Henry the Fifth did sometime prophesy .
  • * 1982 , (Lawrence Durrell), Constance'', Faber & Faber 2004 (''Avignon Quintet ), p. 745:
  • ‘It has been prophesied more than once that he will find it.’
  • To foreshow; to herald; to prefigure.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Methought thy very gait did prophesy / A royal nobleness; I must embrace thee.
  • (Christianity) To speak out on the Bible as an expression of holy inspiration; to preach.
  • threaten

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1905, author=
  • , title= , chapter=2 citation , passage=No one, however, would have anything to do with him, as Mr. Keeson's orders in those respects were very strict ; he had often threatened any one of his employés with instant dismissal if he found him in company with one of these touts.}}
    He threatened me with a knife.
  • To menace, or be dangerous.
  • The rocks threatened the ship's survival.
  • To portend, or give a warning of.
  • The black clouds threatened heavy rain.

    Usage notes

    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See