blackmail

[blak-meyl]

noun

1. any payment extorted by intimidation, as by threats of injurious revelations or accusations.

2. the extortion of such payment.

   He confessed rather than suffer the dishonor of blackmail.

3. a tribute formerly exacted in the north of England and in Scotland by freebooting chiefs for protection from pillage.

verb (used with object)

1. to extort money from (a person) by the use of threats.

2. to force or coerce into a particular action, statement, etc..

   The strikers claimed they were blackmailed into signing the new contract.

blackmail

/ ˈblækˌmeɪl /

noun

1. the act of attempting to obtain money by intimidation, as by threats to disclose discreditable information

2. the exertion of pressure or threats, esp unfairly, in an attempt to influence someone's actions

verb

1. to exact or attempt to exact (money or anything of value) from (a person) by threats or intimidation; extort

2. to attempt to influence the actions of (a person), esp by unfair pressure or threats

Other Word Forms

• blackmailer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of blackmail¹

First recorded in 1545–55; black + mail ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of blackmail¹

C16: see _black , _mail ³

Example Sentences

The Met Police say the pair, aged 17 and 22, were arrested at residential addresses in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, on suspicion of computer misuse and blackmail.

From BBC

Within minutes, "Jenny" persuaded him to share explicit images of himself and immediately began ruthlessly blackmailing him.

From BBC

They secretly recorded intimate videos during explicit chats and used them to blackmail people.

From BBC

Police said blackmailing children into sending increasingly depraved pictures of themselves became the unemployed 22-year-old's "full-time job" from his bedroom at his parent's house in Wigan.

From BBC

The charge of blackmail relates to alleged unwarranted demands for the phone numbers of up to 12 individuals.

From BBC

Related Words

• bribe 
• bribery 
• extortion 

When To Use

What does blackmail mean?

Blackmail is the act of attempting to force someone to do something or give up something valuable by threatening negative consequences if they don’t, especially revealing negative information about them.Blackmail can also be used as a verb meaning to do such a thing.Less commonly, blackmail can refer specifically to a payment made due to threats or coercion.Perhaps the most common blackmail scenario is forcing someone to pay money in order to avoid having a negative secret revealed about them.Blackmail is a serious crime, but sometimes the word is applied to less serious situations. For example, making your sibling do your chores so you don’t tattle on them to your parents for something they did is definitely blackmail.Example: My life is an open book, so you have nothing to blackmail me with—everyone already knows all my secrets!