They tried to intimidate the small country with empty threats — pure 恫吓.
Tips
history
恫 almost never stands alone today; it survives mainly in 恫吓 (to intimidate). Classically it also meant grief or aching pain. It joins the heart radical 忄 with 同 for the sound, the same phonetic in 洞 and 筒.
register
Classical and bound — modern use is essentially limited to the compound 恫吓.
