Fenyegetni

Fenyegetni is a Hungarian verb meaning to threaten or to intimidate another person by expressing the intention to cause harm, fear, or unwanted outcomes. The act can involve threats of physical harm, property damage, coercion, or other adverse actions, and it can target individuals, groups, or institutions. In everyday use, fenyegetni describes behavior intended to compel or intimidate rather than to persuade through legitimate means.

Grammatically, fenyegetni is a transitive verb and takes a direct object (fenyegetni valakit: to threaten someone). Variants include megfenyegetni (to threaten someone more seriously or explicitly) and related constructions such as fenyegető üzenetet küldeni (to send a threatening message). The related noun is fenyegetés, meaning a threat.

In legal and policy contexts, fenyegetés can be a criminal act. In Hungary, threats that aim to cause fear or coercion, especially when explicit, credible, or repeated, may be punishable under the penal code as an offense of intimidation or threat of harm. Legal assessments consider factors such as the immediacy and content of the threat, the means used (spoken, written, or electronic), the relationship between parties, and the victim’s fear or distress. Non-physical threats can still be prosecutable if they create a legitimate sense of danger or coercive impact.

Etymology and usage notes: fenyegetni derives from fenyegetés (threat); the term appears in both everyday language and formal legal prose. The concept is closely linked to discussions of coercion, safety, and civil or criminal liability.