verb
embarrar
muddy
Poner o cubrir algo con barro o una sustancia sucia, o meter a alguien en un problema o situación difícil.
The Spanish verb "embarrar" has two main meanings, both related to the idea of making something dirty or messy:
Meaning 1: To smear or to soil with mud or dirt
- Definition: To cover something with mud, dirt, or a greasy substance, making it dirty.
- Example: "Me embarré los zapatos al caminar por el charco." (I smeared my shoes with mud when walking through the puddle.)
- Synonyms: ensuciar, manchar, embarronar
- Antonyms: limpiar, lavar
Meaning 2: To complicate or mess up a situation
- Definition: Informally, it means to make a situation more complicated or difficult, or to mess something up.
- Example: "No quiero embarrar la situación con más problemas." (I don't want to mess up the situation with more problems.)
- Synonyms: complicar, enredar, estropear
- Antonyms: aclarar, resolver, facilitar
Breakdown of the word:
- Root: "barra" in this context is related to "barro" meaning mud or clay.
- Prefix/suffix: "em-" is a variant of "en-" meaning "in" or "to cause to be," so "embarrar" literally suggests "to put mud on."
Summary:
Embarrar can mean either literally to dirty or to smear with mud, or figuratively to complicate or mess up a situation. Its use depends on the context.
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Examples
Si corres por el campo mojado, seguramente te vas a embarrar mucho.verb
If you run through the wet field, you will surely get yourself very muddy.
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