Word
Kana: きょうはく Romaji: kyouhaku Level: N1

脅迫

Meaning in English

threat, coercion

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Dictionary

Word context

What it means

What does 脅迫 mean? It denotes the act of forcing someone to act through threats or intimidation; a noun describing coercive pressure, and it is used with 脅迫する to mean to threaten or coerce.

Main meanings

  • Coercive pressure using threats or intimidation to compel action or deter action.
  • In legal contexts, a punishable act described as coercive threats; commonly appears in 脅迫罪 references.
  • Nuances include intimidation that relies on fear rather than physical violence, and it can describe both the act and its psychological dimension.

How to use it

Used in formal writing and law, journalism, and serious discourse to describe threats or coercion; in casual speech people might prefer 脅す or 威嚇 depending on nuance, as 脅迫 carries a more formal or legal tone.

Variants and close terms

  • 強要 (kyōyō) — coercion, to compel by force or pressure
  • 恐喝 (kyōkatsu) — extortion, blackmail
  • 威嚇 (ikaku) — intimidation

Composition

  • 脅: threat, menace
  • 迫: press, compel
  • Combine to form a concept of coercion through a threat

Etymology

kyō and haku show two on'yomi readings; the combination yields a noun for coercion through threat.

Word class

Noun, suru-verb (脅迫する)

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