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arrasar

ah-rah-SARaraˈsaɾ

“arrasar” means “to level” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to level, to devastate

Also: to clear out
VerbB1regular ar
A construction bulldozer leveling a pile of dirt and rubble into a flat, smooth ground.
gerundarrasando
past Participlearrasado
infinitivearrasar

📝 In Action

El huracán arrasó toda la costa.

B1

The hurricane leveled the entire coast.

Tuvieron que arrasar el terreno antes de construir la casa.

B2

They had to flatten the ground before building the house.

No dejes que la tristeza arrase con tus ganas de seguir.

C1

Don't let sadness destroy your will to keep going.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • destruir (to destroy)
  • asolar (to devastate/lay waste)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • arrasar con todo – to destroy everything in its path
  • arrasar el suelo – to level the ground

to kill it, to sweep

Also: to be a huge hit
VerbB2regular arinformal
A performer on a stage under a spotlight, bowing as a crowd throws flowers.
gerundarrasando
past Participlearrasado
infinitivearrasar

📝 In Action

Su nueva película está arrasando en los cines.

B2

Her new movie is killing it in theaters.

Esa cantante siempre arrasa en las entregas de premios.

B2

That singer always sweeps at the award ceremonies.

¡Vas a arrasar en tu entrevista de hoy!

A2

You are going to knock it out of the park in your interview today!

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • triunfar (to triumph)
  • petarlo (to smash it (slang))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • arrasar en ventas – to be a best-seller
  • arrasar en taquilla – to be a box-office hit

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoarrasara
túarrasaras
él/ella/ustedarrasara
nosotrosarrasáramos
vosotrosarrasarais
ellos/ellas/ustedesarrasaran

Present Subjunctive

yoarrase
túarrases
él/ella/ustedarrase
nosotrosarrasemos
vosotrosarraséis
ellos/ellas/ustedesarrasen

Indicative

Preterite

yoarrasé
túarrasaste
él/ella/ustedarrasó
nosotrosarrasamos
vosotrosarrasasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesarrasaron

Imperfect

yoarrasaba
túarrasabas
él/ella/ustedarrasaba
nosotrosarrasábamos
vosotrosarrasabais
ellos/ellas/ustedesarrasaban

Present

yoarraso
túarrasas
él/ella/ustedarrasa
nosotrosarrasamos
vosotrosarrasáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesarrasan
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "arrasar" in Spanish:

to devastate→to level→to sweep→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: arrasar

Question 1 of 3

If a storm 'arrasa' a town, what happened?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
raso(flat/level) — Adjective
arrasador(overwhelming/devastating) — Adjective
rasante(grazing/low-flying) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the word 'raso' (flat/smooth), which traces back to the Latin 'radere', meaning 'to scrape' or 'to shave'. Originally, it meant to make a surface completely flat by scraping everything off.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: eraseFrench: raser

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'arrasar' always a bad thing?

No! While it can mean total destruction (bad), it is very frequently used to mean someone is incredibly successful (good).

What is the difference between 'arrasar' and 'destruir'?

Destruir just means to break something. Arrasar implies making it flat or clearing it away completely, often with more force or scale.

Can I use 'arrasar' for people?

Yes. If you say 'Ella arrasa', you mean she is very attractive or successful and everyone is impressed by her.