latir

Definition & meaning

1. To beat or throb, especially of the heart: El corazón late means “The heart beats.”
2. To pulse or be alive, figuratively: a place or feeling can be described as beating with life or energy.
3. In some Latin American varieties, to have a feeling or hunch. In Mexico, it can also mean to appeal to someone: Me late la idea means “I like the idea.”

Grammar & Word origin

Latir is a regular -ir verb, usually used without a direct object. Its present-tense forms include late (“it beats”) and laten (“they beat”).

It comes from Latin latīre, meaning “to bark” or “to make a sound.” The Spanish meaning developed toward a rhythmic beating or throbbing.

Synonyms & antonyms

• palpitar ↗ — “to beat” or “to throb”; often emphasizes a strong or noticeable heartbeat.
• pulsar ↗ — “to pulse”; emphasizes a regular, rhythmic movement.
• detenerse ↗ — “to stop”; an opposite when a heart stops beating.

Common phrases & collocations

• latir el corazón ↗ — “the heart beats.”
• latir con fuerza ↗ — “to beat strongly.”
• me late ↗ — in Mexico, “I like it” or “I’m up for it”; it can also express a hunch, depending on context.