el cercado
fence
Definition & meaning
Cercado can be an adjective, a past participle, or a noun:
- Enclosed or fenced in: an area surrounded by a fence, wall, or other boundary.
Un jardín cercado means “a fenced garden.” - Surrounded or hemmed in: a person or group with little room or few options.
Se sintió cercado means “He/she felt cornered.” - As a noun, an enclosure: a fenced or bounded area, such as a pen or plot of land.
- In some place names, especially in Peru, el Cercado refers to a central district or historic city center, as in el Cercado de Lima.
Grammar & Word origin
Cercado is the regular past participle of cercar , “to fence in,” “to enclose,” or “to surround.” It is formed from the verb stem cerc- and the participle ending -ado.
As an adjective, it agrees in gender and number: cercada , cercados , cercadas . As a noun, it is masculine: el cercado.
Synonyms & antonyms
The best synonym depends on the meaning:
- For a fenced or enclosed area: vallado emphasizes a fence; recinto means an enclosed space more generally.
- For being surrounded: rodeado is broad and neutral; acorralado suggests being trapped or under pressure.
- For a bounded or restricted area: acotado emphasizes limits or boundaries.
Possible antonyms also vary by sense: abierto (“open”) contrasts with a fenced or enclosed space; libre (“free”) can contrast with someone who is hemmed in.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
El jardín tiene un cercado de madera.noun
The garden has a wooden fence.
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