blackmail

Definition of blackmail in English English dictionary: A certain rate of money, corn, cattle, or other thing, anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to certain men who were allied to robbers, or moss troopers, to be by them protected from pillage; Black rent, or rent paid in corn, flesh, or the lowest coin, a opposed to white rent, which paid in silver
to extort money by threats, as of injury to one's reputation.; To extort money from by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation, distress of mind, etc.; as, to blackmail a merchant by threatening to expose an alleged fraud; Payment of money exacted by means of intimidation; also, extortion of money from a person by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure; extortion of money by threats to divulge discrediting information obtain through threats exert pressure on someone through threats; {f} extort money, obtain (money, information, etc.) through threat or intimidation; The act of obtaining money by threats of injury to a person or his or her reputation or social standing; Black rent, or rent paid in corn, flesh, or the lowest coin, a opposed to "white rent", which paid in silver; Blackmail is the action of threatening to reveal a secret about someone, unless they do something you tell them to do, such as giving you money. It looks like the pictures were being used for blackmail; To extort money from by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation, distress of mind, etc; Black rent, or rent paid in corn, flesh, or the lowest coin, a opposed to white rent", which paid in silver. To levy blackmail, to extort money by threats, as of injury to ones reputation; obtain through threats; as, to blackmail a merchant by threatening to expose an alleged fraud; {i} extortion, use of intimidation or force in order to obtain something (money, information, etc.); If one person blackmails another person, they use blackmail against them. The government insisted that it would not be blackmailed by violence I thought he was trying to blackmail me into saying whatever he wanted. + blackmailer blackmailers black·mail·er The nasty thing about a blackmailer is that his starting point is usually the truth. to use blackmail against someone; Any payment obtained by intimidation, threats of injurious revelations or accusations The extortion of this payment A general term covering a number of statutory offences involving obtaining money and other property by using threats of violence, threats to accuse of a crime, or other menacing conduct Making an unwarranted demand with menaces with a view to gain or to cause a loss, for example, threatening to publish embarrassing material unless something is done in return, such as money or favours; exert pressure on someone through threats; extortion of money by threats to divulge discrediting information; disapproval If you describe an action as emotional or moral blackmail, you disapprove of it because someone is using a person's emotions or moral values to persuade them to do something against their will. The tactics employed can range from overt bullying to subtle emotional blackmail; blackmail blackmailer é»‘å‡½æåš‡
blackmail letters: threatening letters, letters which demand payment or something bad will happen
Blackmail.: sanctification
emotional blackmail: The psychological misuse of a person's emotions or insecurities in order to influence their behaviour
blackmailed: past of blackmail
blackmailer: a criminal who extorts money from someone by threatening to expose embarrassing information about them
blackmailer: One who extorts, or endeavors to extort, money, by black mailing
blackmailer: Someone who blackmails
blackmailer: {i} one who extorts money
blackmailing: The act or practice of extorting money by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, as injury to reputation
blackmailing: present participle of blackmail
blackmails: third-person singular of blackmail
give in to blackmail: yield to extortion
political blackmail: extortion that is done for political purposes

blackmail

Hyphenation

black·mail

Turkish pronunciation

bläkmeyl

Synonyms

bribe, bribery, exaction, extortion, hush money, milking, payoff, protection, ransom, slush fund, tribute, badger, bleed, coerce, compel

Pronunciation

/ˈblakˌmāl/ /ˈblækˌmeɪl/

Etymology

() From black + mail (“a piece of money”). The word is variously derived from the word for tribute (in modern terms, protection racket) paid by English and Scottish border dwellers to Border Reivers in return for immunity from raids and other harassment. This tribute was paid in goods or labour (reditus nigri, or "blackmail"); the opposite is blanche firmes or reditus albi, or "white rent" (denoting payment by silver). Alternatively, Mckay derives it from two Scottish Gaelic words blathaich pronounced (the th silent) bl-aich (to protect) and mal (tribute, payment). He notes that the practice was common in the Highlands of Scotland as well as the Borders.