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Glite Dictionary
at spearpoint

at spearpoint

9.9
A situation of strong threat that forces someone to act against their will
  • idiom
translation icon : bajo amenaza
  • Guards drove them at spearpoint down the steps into the lower bailey.

Examples

  • The rebel leader was taken prisoner at spearpoint, forced to surrender his weapons.

  • They were led at spearpoint into the enemy camp, too scared to resist.

  • After the threat from the soldier, she complied at spearpoint and gave him the information he wanted.

Synonyms

gunpoint
vsat spearpoint
  • NSFW
63 4.6

A situation where someone points a gun at you to make you do something

is broad extreme pressure forcing unwilling action not limited to weapon threats
under the gun
vsat spearpoint
  • Informal
6 7.4

Feeling strong pressure to finish something because of a deadline

is about extreme pressure forcing unwilling action rather than urgency from tasks
knifepoint
vsat spearpoint
  • Offensive
4 7.7

Being threatened with a knife to make you do what someone wants

is general extreme pressure forcing unwilling action rather than only robbery situations

Antonyms

voluntary
180 3.7

Given by choice, not because someone forced you or paid you

free will
93 5.8

Ability to choose what you do without being controlled by outside forces

How Pressured

to coerce
  • Offensive
91 6.4
at spearpoint
9.9
forced
3.4
pressure
∞ 3.1

Surface Forms

at spearpoint positive

Morphology

at + spearpoint

The phrase evokes the literal image 'at the point of a spear' so a learner who knows 'spear' and 'point' plus the preposition 'at' can often infer the sense of being threatened or forced; however, the usage is metaphorical and the compound 'spearpoint' is somewhat marked and less frequent than synonyms like 'at gunpoint'. Because the meaning depends on recognizing the metaphoric extension from a physical position to coercion and the lexical form is not fully transparent or common, it is only partially predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The phrase at spearpoint comes from the clear image of someone holding a spear pointed at you to force you to do something. So, it means 'to be forced to act by a threat'.