azotar
“azotar” means “to whip” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to whip, to spank
Also: to thrash
📝 In Action
El jinete azotó al caballo para que corriera más rápido.
B1The rider whipped the horse so it would run faster.
Antiguamente, azotaban a los prisioneros como castigo.
B2In the past, they used to whip prisoners as punishment.
No debes azotar a los niños.
B1You should not spank children.
to lash, to batter
Also: to slam
📝 In Action
La lluvia azotaba los cristales de la ventana.
B1The rain was lashing against the window panes.
Las olas azotaban con fuerza el muro del puerto.
B2The waves were forcefully battering the harbor wall.
El viento azota la bandera en lo alto del mástil.
B2The wind lashes the flag at the top of the mast.
to devastate, to plague
Also: to hit hard
📝 In Action
La sequía azotó la región durante meses.
C1The drought devastated the region for months.
El desempleo azota a los barrios más pobres.
C1Unemployment plagues the poorest neighborhoods.
Varias epidemias azotaron a la población en el siglo XIX.
C2Several epidemics hit the population hard in the 19th century.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "azotar" in Spanish:
to batter→to devastate→to lash→to plague→to slam→to spank→to thrash→to whip→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: azotar
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence describes weather conditions?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Arabic word 'as-sawt', which means 'the whip' or 'the lash'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'azotar' only used for physical violence?
No. While it can mean to whip or spank, it is very frequently used metaphorically for storms hitting buildings or economic crises affecting countries.
How do you say 'to slam the door' in Spanish? Is it 'azotar'?
In some countries, like Mexico, you might hear 'azotar la puerta,' but 'dar un portazo' is more common generally.
Is it a regular verb?
Yes, 'azotar' follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in -ar.