'胁从' (xié cóng) is a formal noun meaning 'a person who becomes an accomplice under coercion or threat—not out of personal intent. The character 胁 (xié) means 'to coerce, threaten, or force', often implying physical or psychological pressure; 从 (cóng) means 'to follow, obey, or comply'. Together, they describe someone who participates in wrongdoing not willingly, but because they were intimidated, threatened, or placed in a helpless position.

This term carries strong legal and moral connotations and appears frequently in judicial contexts, historical narratives, or discussions of wartime collaboration. It implies diminished culpability—the person is seen as more victim than perpetrator—and is sometimes used to justify leniency in sentencing. While historically applied to human actors, it may occasionally appear metaphorically in literary or satirical contexts involving animals (e.g., a dog forced to guard a thief), though such usage is rare and stylized.