What does blackmail mean?

Question

I keep hearing it as something bad?

Answer 1

Blackmail is the act of threatening to reveal information about a person unless the blackmailee meets certain demands. This information is usually of an embarrassing or socially damaging nature.

In a broader sense, blackmail is an offer to refrain from any action which would be legal or normally allowed, and is thus distinguished from extortion.

The word is derived from the word for tribute paid by English and Scottish border dwellers to Border Reivers in return for immunity from raids. 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).

Answer 2

it is basically not good at all it is when u use something that u know about a person against them to get what u want i mean basically it is like if u dont do this for me i am going to tell so and so what i know about you. It really aint a fair game to play but way to many people do play it. It makes it hard to trust the person that is blackmailing you and personally i feel that it is just down right rude.

Answer 3

For instance, if I get pictures of you having sex with someone other than your wife, and I know your wife would divorce you and take all your money, house, kids, etc. if she finds out, then I come to you and tell you that, if you don't pay me $100 a week for the rest of my life, I'll give your wife the pictures, that is blackmail, or blackmailing someone. Marital infidelity is THE biggest reason people blackmail other people in the U.S.

Answer 4

Blackmail - n.

Extortion of money or something else of value from a person by the threat of exposing a criminal act or discreditable information.

Something of value extorted in this manner.

Tribute formerly paid to freebooters along the Scottish border for protection from pillage.

Answer 5

Blackmail means someone knows something about you you wouldn't want to become public knowledge. If you dont do whatever they want, they will make said information public.

Answer 6

Example: you find your boss using your paycheck for his/her pool house. scence he/she said he/she will fire you if you snitch on the acticity. so what you do is you find somthing way worse about him/her like a video, lets just say. so you tell the boss you found an interesting video and you will show it to everybody if he/she doesnt give you a somthing in return (like a raise or a million dollars...you decide). thats extreme blackmail

Answer 7

Making someone do something for you or else you will telll somebody something they did(usually bad, that they don't want other people to know)

And its against the law in the United States

Answer 8

Extortion of money or something else of value from a person by the threat of exposing a criminal act or discreditable information.
Something of value extorted in this manner.

Answer 9

It means:
use of secrets to compel: the act of forcing somebody to pay money or do something by threatening to reveal shameful or incriminating facts about him or her.

Answer 10

Maybe it means your racist and enjoy the fact that Nike produces slave labor products. Just a guess based on your varying ignorant questions and responses.

have a fabulous day!