I have a question about the preposition to use with "threat":
- He made threats against her.
- He made threats at her.
- He made threats toward her.
Should it be "against", "at", or "toward"?
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Also "threats on his/her life" is common.– user6951Commented Jun 19, 2015 at 13:15
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What does your dictionary say?– rogermueCommented Sep 17, 2015 at 16:58
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oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/…– rogermueCommented Sep 17, 2015 at 17:00
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3 Answers
Out of those three, I think it's the first one with 'against'. Because you are using 'make' there.
OALD gives us an example with it:
to make threats against somebody
A headline from CBS LA
Hacker Used Incarcerated Man’s Facebook To Make Threat Against Antelope Valley College
answered May 20, 2015 at 4:55
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2Also worth mentioning: He threatened her.– user230Commented May 20, 2015 at 4:59
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There couuld be many such examples. But I think we are concerned with 'make threats' with 'make' in it. @snailboat– Maulik VCommented May 20, 2015 at 5:23
All three are possible, and well-attested.
Each can mean something different (though the distinctions below might not always be strictly observed) and is valid with to make a threat:
He made threats at her.
This implies that he was in the vincinity of her (he was "at" her). X at Y means X and Y are in the same place. So there's a chance this could mean something like he raised his fists and made a threatening gesture near her, but she may not have seen it because her back was turned.
He made threats toward her.
This means that he said or did something in her direction. It likely implies there was some distance between them and that the threat was not only verbal but may have involved a weapon or fists, etc.
Toward also might be used to express that A specifically targeted B out of a group.
He made threats against her.
The other two sentences imply that the two are physically near or can at least physically see each other, if neither of these are true, against will work. Also if the threat is something abstract or non-physical/verbal, against might be used. For example, He made a threat against her via email or The CEO resigned yesterday, which was a threat against the well-being of the company.
