Descriptive Words in Spanish #3
el choque = shock / crash, collision, hit/bump
el polvorín = “a powder keg”, “a problem waiting to happen”, “a minefield”, “a ticking time bomb” [lit. it’s a place to store la pólvora “gunpowder”, but obviously it’s a place that might just explode]
el hito = a milestone
indirecto/a = indirect la indirecta = hint, subtle clue, pun
el legado = legacy
encargado/a = in charge, person responsible el encargado, la encargada = manager, person in charge, head of (a department)
la fuente = fountain / source, font
el juicio = trial / judgement, judgment, reasoning, opinion / sanity, “one’s right mind”, “senses”
merecido/a = deserved, well-earned, merited el merecido = “just desserts”, “what you deserve”, comeuppance
deslumbrante = amazing, dazzling, stunning
asomar = to lean out, to peek out asomarse = to loom (something ominous) / to take shape, to appear / to brew (a storm/a conflict) hablando del rey de Roma (por la puerta se asoma) = “speak of the devil (and he shall appear)” [lit. “speaking of the king of Rome (through the door he appears)”]
adorar = to adore / to worship, to venerate
el boceto = outline, draft / sketch, rough sketch
el juramento = oath, promise
la desgracia = misfortune, tragedy, tragic event por desgracia = unfortunately
afortunadamente = fortunately desafortunadamente = unfortunately
pertenecer = to belong to, to pertain to
el fruto = fruit / yield dar/rendir fruto = to bear fruit
la farsa = farce, a lie, charade la pantomima = pantomime, charade, farce
fomentar = to encourage (positive) / to incite, “to fan the flames” (negative)
al azar = random, at random, randomly
el homenaje = homage, reference
torpe = awkward (socially or physically), clumsy
añadir / agregar = to add, to add to
sensato/a = reasonable, sensible, rational
dominar = to dominate dominar un idioma = to master a language [ex. dominar el español “to master Spanish”]
proceder = to come from, to originate from la palabra procede del latín = the word comes from Latin
la estirpe = bloodline, lineage
escarmentar = to (severely) punish, to teach someone a lesson el escarmiento = a punishment, a harsh punishment [often harsher than castigar and el castigo which are “to punish” and a “punishment”]
por doquier / (por) dondequiera = “everywhere”, “every which way”, “all over the place” a diestro y siniestro / a diestra y siniestra = “everywhere”, “left and right”, “all over the place” [lit. diestro/a and siniestro/a are the older words for “right” and “left”, where today diestro/a often means “right-handed” or “able”… and siniestro/a is often “sinister”, with the word for “left-handed” now being zurdo/a]
