knife-point
C1Primarily journalistic, police/law enforcement, and dramatic narrative.
Definition
Meaning
The sharp tip or cutting edge of a knife.
A situation involving the threat or use of a knife, especially in a robbery, assault, or coercion.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Almost exclusively used in a figurative sense to describe a dangerous, coercive situation. The literal meaning of the physical tip of a blade is rarely the focus; the compound evokes the entire threatening scenario.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More commonly used in British news media and police reports. American English slightly prefers 'at knifepoint' (one word) or may use broader terms like 'armed with a knife'.
Connotations
Both varieties strongly connote violence, crime, and extreme duress.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK media; understood but less frequent in US media.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] held/threatened/robbed [Object] at knife-point.The robbery/attack/mugging took place at knife-point.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “At knife-point (the primary idiomatic usage)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Rare, possibly in criminology or sociology papers discussing crime statistics or victimology.
Everyday
Used in recounting or discussing serious news events involving crime.
Technical
Used in police reports, court transcripts, and journalistic crime reporting.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The masked man knife-pointed the shopkeeper into the back room. (Informal/Non-standard)
American English
- The assailant was accused of knife-pointing the victim during the robbery. (Informal/Non-standard)
adjective
British English
- It was a terrifying knife-point robbery in broad daylight.
American English
- The victim described a harrowing knife-point carjacking.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The man was robbed at knife-point in the park.
- She was held at knife-point for over an hour.
- The convenience store was targeted in a daring knife-point raid last night.
- Survivors of the knife-point ordeal are receiving counselling.
- The prosecution argued that the defendant carried out a series of knife-point muggings, preying on vulnerable individuals.
- Journalistic accounts often sensationalise knife-point crimes, which can distort public perception of their frequency.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine the POINT of a KNIFE pressing against you – that's the dangerous situation 'at knife-point' describes.
Conceptual Metaphor
DANGER IS A SHARP POINT / COERCION IS PHYSICAL PRESSURE FROM A WEAPON.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation like '*на точке ножа'*. Use 'под угрозой ножа' or 'с ножом в руке'.
- Do not confuse with 'knife edge' (лезвие ножа или ситуация на грани).
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'He knife-pointed me' – incorrect).
- Using it without 'at' (e.g., 'He robbed me knife-point' – incorrect).
- Confusing spelling: 'knifepoint' (one word) is an accepted variant, especially in American English.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'knife-point' most appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both 'knife-point' (hyphenated) and 'knifepoint' (closed) are accepted. The hyphenated form is more common in British English, while the closed form is often seen in American English.
Rarely. Its primary and almost exclusive use is figurative, describing a threatening situation involving a knife. To talk about the physical tip, one would say 'the point of the knife'.
The preposition 'at' is mandatory in the standard phrase: 'at knife-point'.
Yes, the analogous and very common term is 'at gunpoint'.