adj · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɪkˈstɔː(ɹ)t/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)t
CMU ARPABET:EH0 K S T AO1 R T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
extorted; obtained by extortion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To take or seize from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to extort contributions from the vanquished
to extort confessions of guilt
to extort a promise
to extort payment of a debt
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To obtain by means of the offense of extortion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To twist outwards.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, transitive
Topics: medicine, ophthalmology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
get or cause to become in a difficult or laborious manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: wring from
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: obtain
Narrower terms: pry, prise
6
verb
Meaning 6
obtain by coercion or intimidation
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
They extorted money from the executive by threatening to reveal his past to the company boss
They squeezed money from the owner of the business by threatening him
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: take
Narrower terms: blackmail
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin extortus, past participle of extorquere (“to twist or wrench out, to extort”); from ex (“out”) + -tort, from torqueō (“twist, turn”).
Across languages
Translations
55 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
շորթել
(šortʻel)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Bulgarian:
изтръгвам
(iztrǎgvam)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Catalan:
extorquir
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Chinese Mandarin:
勒索
(lèsuǒ)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Chinese Mandarin:
敲詐 /敲诈
(qiāozhà)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Danish:
afpresse
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Danish:
aftvinge
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Finnish:
kiristää
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Finnish:
riistää
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
French:
extorquer
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Galician:
extorsionar
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
German:
erpressen
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Hindi:
ऐंठना
(a͠iṭhnā)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Hungarian:
kicsikar
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Hungarian:
kikényszerít
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Hungarian:
kizsarol
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Italian:
estorcere
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Italian:
carpire
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Italian:
spillare
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Khmer:
ឆាំង
(chaŋ)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Khmer:
កំហែងយក
(kɑmhaeŋ yɔɔk)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Khmer:
សង្កត់យក
(sɑŋkɑt yɔɔk)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Khmer:
ជំរិតទារ
(cumrɨt tie)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Latin:
extorqueō
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Māori:
apo
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Māori:
kōhaki
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Norwegian Bokmål:
utpresse
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Polish:
wymuszać
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Polish:
wymusić
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Portuguese:
extorquir
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Russian:
вырыва́ть
(vyryvátʹ)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Russian:
выпы́тывать
(vypýtyvatʹ)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Russian:
отжимать
(otžimatʹ)
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Spanish:
extorsionar
— to wrest from an unwilling person by undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity
Chinese Mandarin:
勒索
(lèsuǒ)
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Chinese Mandarin:
敲詐 /敲诈
(qiāozhà)
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Danish:
fravriste
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Finnish:
kiristää
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Hindi:
ऐंठना
(a͠iṭhnā)
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Khmer:
ឆាំង
(chaŋ)
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Khmer:
កំហែងយក
(kɑmhaeŋ yɔɔk)
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Khmer:
សង្កត់យក
(sɑŋkɑt yɔɔk)
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Khmer:
ជំរិតទារ
(cumrɨt tie)
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Polish:
wymuszać
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Polish:
wymusić
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Polish:
wyłudzać
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Polish:
wyłudzić
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Portuguese:
extorquir
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Russian:
вымога́ть
(vymogátʹ)
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Spanish:
extorsionar
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Thai:
ไถ
(tǎi)
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
Thai:
รีดไถ
(rîit-tǎi)
— to obtain by means of the offense of extortion
