empty threat; bluff; paper tiger
Refers to a threat or show of force that lacks real substance; often used when someone tries to intimidate but cannot back it up.
His warning was nothing more than an empty threat.
I think that company's tough talk is just a bluff.
脅し is a general threat or intimidation, while こけおどし specifically implies the threat is empty or lacks real power.
はったり is a bluff, often in a game or negotiation, emphasizing deception; こけおどし focuses more on the hollowness of the threat itself.
Rare kanji spelling; the word is normally written in kana.
Rarely used kanji form; the word is normally written in kana.
Compound of こけ (from 虚仮, meaning 'foolish' or 'empty') and おどし (from 脅し, 'threat'). The exact derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the Edo period.