Meaning & use
double threat
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableinformal
A person or thing that is strong or skillful in two different areas, making them especially effective.
Grammar: Countable: 'a double threat', 'double threats'.
Patterns
- be a double threat
- a double threat in something
- a double threat as something
As both a singer and a dancer, she is a double threat on stage.
The team's new player is a double threat: fast and accurate.
The company is a double threat in hardware and software.
Word forms
| plural | double threats |
|---|
Common combinations
- a double threat in
- He is a double threat in both offense and defense.
- be a double threat
- With her skills in writing and design, she is a double threat.
- a double threat as
- The actor is a double threat as a comedian and a dramatic performer.
- become a double threat
- After training, he became a double threat on the court.
Synonyms and how they differ
- all-rounder
- An all-rounder is good at many things; a double threat is specifically strong in two areas.
- versatile
- Versatile is an adjective meaning able to do many things; a double threat is a noun for someone with two particular strengths.
Opposites
Commonly confused: double threat or triple threat?
double threat vs triple threat
A triple threat is strong in three areas, not two; the number changes the meaning.
Practice
What does it mean to call someone a 'double threat'?
Choose one answer.
A double threat is someone skilled in two areas, like singing and dancing. The other options misunderstand the idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “double threat”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.