‘吓唬’ is a disyllabic verb meaning to bluff or tease someone by pretending to scare them—often playfully, not with real intent to harm. The first character 吓 (xià) means 'to frighten' and appears in words like 吓人 (scary), while 唬 (hǔ) is a colloquial variant of 惚 (originally meaning 'to confuse'), but in this compound it reinforces the idea of deception or feigned threat. Together, they form an inseparable verb emphasizing pretense: the 'scare' is performative, not genuine.

This word is commonly used in informal spoken Chinese, especially among children, parents, or close friends. It often appears in contexts where someone exaggerates danger (e.g., pretending a dog will bite, or jokingly threatening a child with ghosts) to provoke a reaction—but with affection or humor, not malice. Unlike serious verbs like 恐吓 (intimidate) or 胁迫 (coerce), 吓唬 carries lightness and familiarity; it’s rarely used in formal writing or serious situations.