despistar
mislead
Hacer que alguien se confunda, se distraiga o pierda la atención sobre algo.
Definition & meaning
Despistar is a regular Spanish verb with several related meanings:
- To distract someone or divert their attention.
- To confuse or mislead someone, sometimes deliberately.
- To throw someone off the trail or make them lose track of something.
- In its reflexive form, despistarse, to become distracted, lose one’s bearings, or act absent-mindedly.
The exact meaning depends on context: it can describe deliberately misleading someone or simply losing focus by accident.
Grammar & Word origin
Despistar is a regular -ar verb. It is often used with a direct object when someone distracts or misleads another person. The reflexive form, , commonly means “to get distracted” or “to lose one’s way.”
The word is formed from the prefix des-, which can suggest removal or reversal, and , meaning “track,” “trail,” or “clue.” Its original sense is therefore connected with removing or losing a track.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms:
- — “to distract”; emphasizes drawing someone’s attention away.
- — “to confuse”; focuses on making someone uncertain or mistaken.
- — “to disorient”; emphasizes making someone lose their sense of direction or understanding.
- — “to deceive”; implies intentional dishonesty more strongly than despistar.
Antonyms:
- — “to guide” or “to orient”; the opposite of making someone lose their bearings.
- — “to clarify”; counters confusing or misleading someone.
- — “to focus”; contrasts with distracting someone.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
El truco puede despistar al perro.verb
The trick can mislead the dog.
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