【紛らわしい言葉コーナー】 「脅」の入っている動詞3語:脅す・脅かす・脅かす
if you read a lot of manga or novels, you might see the word 脅す somewhat frequently. or, you might see the word 脅かす—or even the word 脅かす! (yes, those last two are different.) but in case you aren't familiar with them, here's each one in kana:
脅す(おどす)
脅かす(おどかす)
脅かす(おびやかす)
so what's up with these? i finally got fed up and decided to look it up. let's start with the kanji!
脅(キョウ・おど、おびや) = threaten, coerce
脅迫(きょうはく) = coercion, blackmail
脅威(きょうい) = threat, menace
so, we can see our three verbs above are going to share the basic meaning of "to threaten/frighten". but what's the use of having three? let's compare.
脅す(おどす) = to threaten, frighten (into doing), 恐れさせる, 脅迫する
this verb's definition is very straightforward; it means what it says on the tin. we might consider 脅す the most basic of these three verbs. here are some examples:
脅してお金をとる = to threaten someone for money
「金を渡せ」と脅してきた。 = he threatened me, saying, "hand over your cash."
pretty simple. this is the kind of word that might be used by a newscaster or prescribed by a textbook, although it's not hyper-formal or anything.
next, we'll look at the verb with the same kun'yomi as 脅す:
脅かす(おどかす) = to startle, scare, びっくりさせる, 驚かす; to threaten, intimidate, 脅す
it looks like the definition of 脅す is encompassed by 脅(おど)かす! furthermore, 脅(おど)かす has its own particular usage meaning "to startle", which 脅す is not generally used for. that also makes 脅(おど)かす a more casual word than 脅す.
お化けが私を脅(おど)かした。 = a ghost spooked me.
びっくりした!脅(おど)かさないでよ。 = you scared me! don't startle me like that.
脅(おど)かしてお金をとる = to threaten someone for money (colloquial)
so, while 脅(おど)かす can do the job of 脅す in casual conversation, it also comes with its own nuance.
lastly, 脅(おびや)かす, whose kun'yomi is different:
脅かす(おびやかす) = to threaten (e.g., peace), jeopardize, endanger, 危うくする; to intimidate, frighten, 怖がらせて従わせる
this verb also has two definitions. one definition is similar to 脅(おど)かす and 脅す, meaning "to frighten into obeisance". apparently, under this definition, 脅(おびや)かす applies to actually frightening/dangerous circumstances, while 脅(おど)かす can also apply to circumstances that are scary but probably harmless.
刃物で脅(おびや)かす = to threaten with a knife (actually dangerous)
びっくりさせて脅(おど)かす = to take someone by surprise (incidentally scary, e.g., rounding the corner too fast, uncovering a weird bug, etc.)
additionally, 脅(おびや)かす has a metaphorical usage, as in "to threaten the peace" or some other intangible state of being.
ウイルスの広がりが安全を脅(おびや)かす。 = the spread of the virus threatens safety.
人の地位を脅(おびや)かす = to threaten someone's social standing
this is definitely the definition that sets it apart from 脅す and 脅(おど)かす! if you see something stable being put in peril, that's probably 脅(おびや)かす.
to sum up: 脅す is the most basic of these three verbs, while 脅(おびや)かす is the most metaphorical. meanwhile, 脅(おど)かす can take a casual or even somewhat humorous tone (kind of like "menace" in english). and of course, at the end of the day, all three more or less mean to threaten/make afraid/恐れさせる.
hopefully i didn't frighten you too much with another extremely specific vocab post! みんなを脅かすつもりじゃなかったもんね ;) as always, feel free to send me any questions or comments, and check out my sources below the cut if you like. お疲れ and see you next time!!













