asombrar
amaze · astonish
Causar sorpresa o admiración muy grande en alguien, dejando a la persona sorprendida o impresionada.
Word: asombrar
Meaning:
The Spanish verb "asombrar" means "to amaze," "to astonish," or "to surprise" someone. It refers to causing a sense of wonder or shock due to something unexpected or extraordinary.
Parts:
- The verb comes from the noun "sombra" (shadow) with the prefix "a-", which is often used to form verbs. Historically, it can be related to causing one's "shadow" to move or be disturbed, metaphorically representing causing surprise or awe.
- It is a regular -ar verb.
Usage:
- Asombrar a alguien = to amaze or astonish someone.
- Example: La magia del espectáculo nos asombró a todos. (The magic of the show amazed us all.)
Synonyms:
- sorprender (to surprise)
- maravillar (to marvel, to amaze)
- impresionar (to impress)
Antonyms:
- indiferenciar (to be indifferent to)
- aburrir (to bore)
Additional meanings (less common):
- Sometimes used to mean "to frighten" or "to startle," especially in older or more literary Spanish, since something surprising can be startling.
Summary:
"Asombrar" is an expressive verb used mainly to describe the action of causing someone to feel amazed, astonished, or surprised. It carries a positive or neutral emotional tone, unless indicating a sudden, startling effect, where it might be closer to "to frighten."
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Examples
La belleza del lugar nos asombró a todos.verb
The beauty of the place amazed us all.
Los niños se asombraban cada vez que el mago realizaba un truco nuevo.verb
The children were amazed every time the magician performed a new trick.
Ojalá los resultados de las elecciones no asombren demasiado a la población.verb
I hope the election results do not astonish the population too much.
El profesor espera asombrar a sus estudiantes con un experimento científico muy innovador.verb
The teacher hopes to amaze his students with a very innovative scientific experiment.
Espero que mi discurso asombre a los invitados durante la cena.verb
I hope my speech amazes the guests during dinner.
Aunque practiques mucho, dudo que asombres al jurado con esa técnica tan básica.verb
Even if you practice a lot, I doubt that you will amaze the jury with such a basic technique.
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