verbverb

pulsar

press

Definition & meaning

Pulsar has two main uses:

Verb: “to press,” “to push,” or “to press a button/key.”
It refers to applying pressure, especially to operate a control or mechanism.
- Pulsar el botón — to press the button
- Pulsar una tecla — to press a key
- Pulsa aquí — press here
Noun: “pulsar,” an astronomical object.
A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rapidly rotating neutron star that emits regular beams of electromagnetic radiation. In Spanish, this noun is masculine: un pulsar.

Grammar & Word origin

As a verb, pulsar is a regular -ar verb:

yo pulso — I press
tú pulsas — you press
él/ella pulsa — he/she presses
pulsa — press, informal singular command

The verb comes from Latin pulsāre, meaning “to strike,” “beat,” or “push,” related to pulso , “pulse” or “beat.” The astronomical noun is an international scientific term, formed from the English word pulsar, based on “pulsating radio source.”

Synonyms & antonyms

As a verb

presionar — to press; more general and often slightly more formal than pulsar.
oprimir — to press down or depress; commonly used for buttons and keys, especially in some Latin American varieties.
apretar — to squeeze or press firmly; it can imply greater force than pulsar.

There is no exact antonym, but depending on the context:

soltar — to release or let go.
liberar — to release pressure or disengage something.

As a noun

There are no ordinary Spanish synonyms for the astronomical term pulsar. It can be described as una estrella de neutrones , “a neutron star,” although this is a broader term rather than a direct synonym.