defraudar

The Spanish verb defraudar means to defraud, to disappoint, or to cheat depending on the context.

Meaning and Explanation:

1. To Defraud / To Cheat
   In a legal or financial context, "defraudar" means to deceive someone, especially for financial gain. This involves committing fraud, such as cheating or swindling someone out of money or property.
   Example: El empleado defraudó a la empresa robando dinero.
   (The employee defrauded the company by stealing money.)

2. To Disappoint / To Let Down
   It can also mean to cause someone to feel disappointed or unsatisfied when their expectations are not met. This meaning is more common in everyday, non-legal contexts.
   Example: La película me defraudó porque esperaba que fuera mucho mejor.
   (The movie disappointed me because I expected it to be much better.)

Parts of the word:

• The verb "defraudar" consists of the prefix de-, which often implies "undoing" or a negative sense, combined with "fraudar," derived from "fraude" (fraud).
• So "defraudar" literally means "to commit fraud" or "to cause fraud."

Synonyms:

• For "to defraud / cheat": estafar, engañar, timar
• For "to disappoint": decepcionar, fallar, desilusionar

Antonyms:

• For cheating meaning: honrar, respetar (to honor, to respect)
• For disappointing meaning: satisfacer, cumplir expectativas (to satisfy, to fulfill expectations)

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In summary, defraudar can either refer to financial/legal fraud or emotional disappointment, and the correct usage depends on the context.