Definition

1. Verb:
   • To blackmail: To extort money from someone by using threats, intimidation, or coercion, often by threatening to reveal damaging or secret information.
   • To extort: To obtain money, property, or services from someone through force, threats, or other undue pressure.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Hắn bị bắt vì tội tống tiền một doanh nhân. (He was arrested for blackmailing a businessman.)
  • Băng nhóm đó chuyên tống tiền các chủ cửa hàng nhỏ. (That gang specializes in extorting money from small shop owners.)
  • Cô ấy bị tống tiền sau khi kẻ xấu có được những bức ảnh riêng tư. (She was blackmailed after the wrongdoer obtained private photos.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "tống tiền" is often used in legal and criminal contexts. It implies a serious crime involving psychological pressure and illegal demand for payment.

Variants and Related Words

• Kẻ tống tiền / Tội tống tiền (n): Blackmailer / The crime of blackmail or extortion.
  • Cảnh sát đang truy lùng kẻ tống tiền. (The police are hunting for the blackmailer.)
  • Hắn phải đối mặt với cáo buộc tội tống tiền. (He faces a charge of extortion.)

Synonyms

• Blackmail: To demand payment by threatening to reveal compromising information.
• Extort: To obtain something by force, threats, or intimidation.
• Shake down (informal): To extort money, often through threats.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• While "tống tiền" itself is a specific term, it is central to phrases describing the act:
  • Hành vi tống tiền: Blackmailing/extortion behavior.
  • Hành vi tống tiền của chúng là rất tinh vi. (Their blackmailing behavior is very sophisticated.)