Chinese word

威胁

Pronunciation

Pinyinwēi xié

Meaning

  • verbthreaten

Example

他在威胁我。tā zài wēi xié wǒ

He is threatening me.

Illustration for 威胁 (threaten)

More examples

暴风雨威胁渔船的安全。bào fēng yǔ wēi xié yú chuán de ān quán

The storm threatened the safety of the fishing boat.

Core concept

A danger-backed demand that narrows another person's freedom to choose.

Common phrases

  • 用暴力威胁yòng bào lì wēi xié

    threaten with violence

  • 威胁生命wēi xié shēng mìng

    threaten life

  • 威胁国家安全wēi xié guó jiā ān quán

    threaten national security

Similar words

恐吓kǒng hè: Uses frightening words or actions to make someone afraid.
胁迫xié pò: Uses force or the risk of harm or loss to make someone obey.
吓唬xià hǔ: Makes someone feel afraid as a joke, by surprise, or by acting scary.

Definition in Chinese

用威力、言语或其他手段使对方感到危险或处于不利，从而迫使对方做出或放弃某种行为。yòng wēi lì yán yǔ huò qí tā shǒu duàn shǐ duì fāng gǎn dào wēi xiǎn huò chǔ yú bú lì cóng ér pò shǐ duì fāng zuò chū huò fàng qì móu zhǒng xíng wéi

Word origin

The compound joins 威 (wēi, "might") with 胁 (xié, "force under pressure"), linking intimidating power with the act of making someone yield.

Usage tips

  • The word can describe words, actions, or other methods, so the source of the pressure need not be an explicit spoken warning.

Other meanings

  • threatnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 威胁者wēi xié zhěthreatenernoun
  • 威胁性wēi xié xìngthreatening naturenoun

Word lists with this word