Threatening vs. Blackmail — What's the Difference?

Making or implying threats

Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and may be revealed to family members or associates rather than to the general public.

Gving warning signs of bad weather

The action, treated as a criminal offence, of demanding money from someone in return for not revealing compromising information which one has about them

Causing the feeling that one's power, social standing, or self-esteem is in danger of being diminished

Demand money from (someone) in return for not revealing compromising information about them

Present participle of threaten

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

Presenting a threat, posing a likely risk of harm.

Something of value, especially money, extorted in this manner

Making threats, making statements about a willingness to cause harm.

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

An act of threatening; a threat.

The extortion of money or favours by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.

Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments;

(archaic) A form of protection money (or corn, cattle, etc.) anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to the allies of robbers in order to be spared from pillage.

Darkened by clouds;

Black rent, or rent paid in corn, meat, or the lowest coin, as opposed to white rent, which was paid in silver.

Compromising material that can be used to extort someone, dirt.

(transitive) To extort money or favors from (a person) by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, such as injury to reputation, distress of mind, false accusation, etc.

(Kenya) To speak ill of someone; to defame someone.

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.

Payment of money exacted by means of intimidation; also, extortion of money from a person by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.

Black rent, or rent paid in corn, flesh, or the lowest coin, a opposed to "white rent", which paid in silver.

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.

Extortion of money by threats to divulge discrediting information

Exert pressure on someone through threats

Obtain through threats